Nick's New Life
by Onyxrose777
Summary: Missing chapters of Zootopia that explores the relationship of Nick and Judy while Nick attends the ZPD Academy and shortly there after. Contains explicit material.
1. Case Closed

Despite the fact that the natural history museum has been closed for renovations over two weeks ago, animals were bustling in and out and all over. News crew's were busy reporting in on the latest updates on the biggest case Zootopia has seen in years. Cops had long since blocked off the building and were diligently checking the entire structure for clues and building their case against the recently arrested sheep. Near the entrance, just outside, an ambulance was parked where a deer in an EMT jacket was bandaging up a small grey bunny. The bunny, Judy Hopps, was relaying vital information to a rhino sporting full police uniform. The rhino's partner, a dark furred wolf was glancing at a carrot shaped pen that hid a small voice recorder. She knew both the officers, though not well. The rhino nodded as he wrote as much as he could in a small notebook, asking questions to clarify as necessary.

"Wow Hopps," the wolf said with an incredulous shake of his head, "I've been on the force 15 years and I've never seen anything quite like this. Who would think such a little bunny could crack such a big case and practically catch the perp single handedly." He gave the bunny a friendly punch to the shoulder.

"Well, that's what we do at the ZPD,: Judy said with a smile, "Plus, I didn't do it single handedly. I had a great partner."

Almost as if he knew she was talking about him, a red fox slinked out from the other side of the ambulance. He too had finished giving his statement to a pair of officers and had come to check on his bunny friend.

"How's the twice over hero of Zootopia doing?" the fox mocked, though no malice was given.

"Nick!" Judy smiled, "You're just as much a hero as me. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here to help me."

"I am a hero aren't I?" Nick nodded. "In fact, if they wanted to erect a gold statue of me outside the museum, I suppose that would be acceptable." Judy rolled her eyes. "Seriously though Carrots. How's the leg."

Judy swung her leg before sliding off the the back of the ambulance. She winced a little. She sighed, "I needed a mess of stitches but the EMT said the cut, while long, was pretty shallow and should heal well if I stay off it for a few days."

"So what happens now? You going back to being a meter maid?" Nick asked offering his arm to the hurt bunny.

"First we get pizza. Then I'm sure chief bogo will want to have a private meeting tomorrow with the both of us. Then I'll have to fill out a new application form to see if I can even get my old job back." Judy listed off.

"What?" Nick asked shocked, "don't tell me you got fired after all that shit we went through?"

Judy shook her head sadly, "No, I felt so responsible for all the unrest in the city I resigned. The predators and prey would have never been fighting if I hadn't said all those awful things. I couldn't deal with the guilt"

Nick looked down at his droopy eared friend before giving her a small nudge, "Well I forgave you, I'm sure in time the predators and prey of the city will do the same for each other."

"That is strangely optimistic of you." Judy questioned.

"Yeah ok, you caught me. I was just trying to cheer you up. Truth is you've opened up a can of worms and that has irrecoverably damaged the city forever which will undoubtedly lead to the destruction of modern society as we know it. But you caught the bad guy in the end so-" Nick smiled at Judy while she glared back, feigning anger.

"Well I guess we better hail a cab while we can before the apocalypse does hit. I still want that pizza." Judy said while eyeing for the safest way to sneak by the news crews. Together, with Judy leaning on Nick's arm for support, they got away from the crime scene and found a cab.

"Lucky for you I know a great place nearby," Nick started as they poured into the cab.

"Actually Nick," Judy interrupted. "We need to stop by my place first."

"Well!" Nick called in mock surprise, "I thought you were a lady and yet here you are dragging me back to your apartment? What sort of tod do you take me for."

Judy's ears shot upright and turned a bright red, "Y-you dumb fox! My pants are ripped and covered in blood! I need to change. Driver, The Grand Pangolin Arms on Walnut please." Nick smiled at getting such a rise from the gullible bunny. "You can be such a jerk," Judy pouted but her mood softened as the taxi pulled into traffic. She sighed, "I really couldn't have done all this without you. I do think we make a great team and I meant it when I said you'd make a really good cop. I understand of you don't want to, but-"

Nick cut her off with a wave and said, "I tell you what Carrots, how bout we meet up together tomorrow and we will both go to the station. We'll have our meeting with Buffalo Butt, you get yourself reinstated and I'll look into it."

Judy beamed up at Nick, excited at the possibility of them becoming full time work partners. "Oh, this will be so fun! You'll have to go through the academy but I can help you with your studies. And-"

Judy began babbling on about the ZPD police academy and Nick gradually tuned out. He was thinking about how he has almost flunked out of highschool because he was more interested convincing the other students that they could get high off the grass clippings and aspirin he sold them. How ironic that he would be going back to school to become a cop after the life he had lead.

When the cab finally pulled up to The Grand Pangolin Arms Nick helped Judy out of the car and up to her apartment. She hobbled to the bathroom to wash up and change her pants.

"Nice apartment," Nick commented plainly.

Judy scoffed from the bathroom, "Yeah, I know it is pretty crappy but it was the first place I could afford. It was supposed to be temporary."

"No, No, I mean it. It's nice, at least compared to mine." Nick said sincerely.

"Seriously? What happened to that $200 a day you were telling me about?" Judy called through the wall.

"Eh," Nick groaned, "that's more like $200 a day gross. After business expenses and payroll, well, let's just say there isn't much left for me. Plus when you're an entrepreneur, such as myself, you deal with a lot of financial ups and downs. I've learned the hard way that blowing all your hard earned dough as soon as you get it isn't the best idea ever."

Judy came out of the bathroom wearing some baggy sweatpants with a concerned look on her face. "Hey Nick."

"But I bet you guys in blue get a nice steady paycheck so I guess I'll have that to look forward to." Nick said sheepishly. He chastised himself internally for sharing such private information. He was normally so closed off but Judy had a way of putting him at ease.

"Look Nick, this was a big day and I'm actually kinda tired. And my noisy neighbors are out so how about we call in that pizza in and just relax here. Is veggie lovers ok? My treat." Judy asked looking up at Nick with her big amethyst eyes. She looked like a little girl trying to sweet talk her way into a new toy and he couldn't resist her. She called in the pizza and they sat on her bed watching videos on her phone and eating pizza till she fell asleep. After tucking in the sleepy bunny Nick quietly sneaked out making sure the door locked behind him but not before programing his number into her phone.


	2. Nick Works Out

A few short months passed since Bellwether and her associates were apprehended. The trial was was progressing slowly as her crimes were of such a unique nature. No animal had ever developed a non-lethal biological weapon that caused the victims to become weapons themselves.

Meanwhile Judy had been reinstated back at the ZPD as a regular beat cop and Nick had enrolled into the police academy. His timing couldn't have been better as he was able to get his application in just 2 short weeks prior to classes starting. A glowing recommendation from the chief of police didn't hurt him getting in though. He was pleased to learn that he could graduate after just one year and he could move onto more part time studies whenever he desired to further his career. He found the freedom the program offered very appealing. The workload was higher than he was used to but he quickly found that the intellectual portions were easy enough for him. He understood the theories and could memorizes all the codes, procedures and laws that were thrown at him. The only place he struggled was during the physical education classes. Though he was agile, he had next to no endurance or upper body strength and during the large animal opponent class he found his bravery severely lacking in the face of a charging rhino. Once again Nick had unknowingly opened up to his best bunny buddy so, being the good friend that she was, she took it upon herself to help him train his body by taking him (a.k.a. forcing him to go) to a local gym.

Nick looked around, unimpressed, as he followed Judy bouncing cheerfully into what could only be described a testosterone and steroids filled hell. Fitting, he mused, that he would follow the perky bunny down into hell itself. To the left were rows of foreign torture machines with animals strapped in and grunting like they were trying to establish some sort of primitive hierarchy via lifting heavy objects. To the right, directly in front of the storefront windows, were two old-school boxing rings.

Nick was lost in his own thoughts and observations when he was hit square in the chest by a pair of boxing gloves. He fumbled the gloves for a moment before glaring at the happy bunny in front of him.

"Judy, why did we have to come here?" He asked not even trying to hide his annoyance.

"What do you mean? You said you were struggling with the physical requirements at the academy," Judy asked, her face suddenly full of concern and confusion. Nick chastised himself, once again, for being so honest with Judy when it came to what was happening at the police academy. "How else are you going to get fit enough to pass?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Ab roller in the comfort of my own home?"

Judy glared at him. If Nick were honest with himself he would admit that he'd never done a push up or sit up in his life and if it were up to him he never would. However, if he really wanted to become a cop he would have to buckle down and put forth the effort to build some muscles. He did not want to fall into the icy pools under the climbing wall again.

Judy chomped onto a mouth guard and lifted herself onto the platform of the boxing ring. Nick gave a disgruntled sigh and slunk up into the boxing ring behind the eager bunny. From the higher vantage point Nick spied all the other animals going about their business . They were all animals that were already huge; rhinos, bears, elephants. What was the point of trying to get even bigger?

He looked back at Judy. She was already wearing her head gear and a gloves and bouncing around punching at the air. Nick admired her greatly. She had an unflappable attitude and was completely unafraid of what other animals thought of her. She fought her whole life to achieve her dreams despite the entire world telling her those dreams were impossible. However, at this time, Nick couldn't help but think of how stupid she looked in her boxing get up. Even a giant grizzly nearby was trying to stifle giggles. Nick realized that neither he nor Judy had any place in a boxing ring.

"Ugh, Nick! You don't even have your gear on! Let's go!" Judy scolded him through her mouth gaurd. Nick reluctantly placed the head gear on and laced up his gloves, painfully aware that the stupid bear was still watching him and not doing a very good job of hiding it.

"Ok" Nick admitted, "I get why we are at the gym, but seriously? Boxing?"

Judy rolled her eyes, "You will be learning how to take down both larger and smaller animals at the academy and you will be doing it in a boxing ring. Plus, this will help me get an idea of where you are at physically. Now let's go!"

Nick grumbled as he chomped down on his own mouth guard. He stood in the middle of the ring and Judy bounced around him showing off her light foot work. Nick rolled his eyes and noticed another animal, a bison this time, watching him and Judy. Nick laid his ears back in embarrassment.

"Come on, you need to put up your arms to block," Judy coached as she jabbed Nick lightly on the left arm. He did as he was told but barely moved to when Judy bounced to his other side and landed a few more light jabs to his right shoulders. "Come on Nick. You have to at least try."

Nick sighed and tried to block Judy's hits but his movements were slow and clumsy. After several successful hits Judy sighed and stepped back. She shook her head in disappointment at her apathetic student and Nick took the opportunity to look back over his shoulder. Now there were five animals watching as they lifted their ridiculously large weights.

"Ok, this isn't working," Judy huffed, "why don't you try hitting me?"

Nick froze. Hit her? How could he hit her, especially with all these other muscle bound monsters hanging about? She was smaller than him, a prey and a girl. Other animals were always looking for a reason to demonize foxes. Nick was afraid that if he did box Judy, the giant animals that were watching would step in to kick his ass the moment he landed a decent punch.

"Sometime today Slick!" Judy called.

Nick shifted his weight unsure of how to proceed. There was no way he could admit his fear or hit her, even if it was in a friendly match. He finally stuttered out a stubborn "No."

Judy perked up from behind her defensive stance. "What?"

Nick looked Judy square in the eyes, "Yeah, I said no. Hm-mm. I will not be boxing with a cute little bunny today. I didn't want to come here in the first place."

"What, why?" Judy asked. Nick hated to see the disappointment on her face.

"I just don't think it would be appropriate for a fox and a bunny to hit each other," Nick couldn't look her in the eyes. He knew he was being really lame but he his nerves piled up on himself and he couldn't back out gracefully.

Judy's eyes narrowed. She could let being called cute slide but since when did Nick think it was OK to pull out some social acceptability card on her. "What?" She challenged him.

Nick could feel himself getting hot under the collar. "Look carrots, it's nothing personal. A little bunny like you against a larger fox like me? It's just not fair. I wouldn't want to hurt or embarrass you is all."

"Really Nick? You really think your going to hurt me? Is that what you're really afraid of?" She challenged him and although he knew she was seeing through his lie he had nowhere else to go and simply nodded. Surprisingly she sighed and relaxed, "Ok, fine. Take off your gloves and sit down."

Nick was surprised at how easily she had given in and suspected a trap but did as he was told. Judy walked sadly to him and took off her gear. She took both his paws in hers. "I want to show you something Nick." She said calmly as she placed both his hands on her upper arms.

"Squeeze" she commanded gently. Nick cautiously did as he was told and was surprised to find that under all that soft, fluffy fur Judy was hiding a sizable, hard knot of muscle.

"Do you feel that? I was told it _wouldn't be appropriate_ for a bunny to become a cop, so I began to put forth the work, both physically and mentally, to prove them all wrong." She then moved his hands down to her abdomen. She pressed his thumbs into her soft fur. His ears got hot as he felt every single muscle in a well defined six pack. Judy looked deep into Nick's eyes. There was a cold sadness in her eyes and words that were melting into a hot, determined anger. "There wasn't a darn person who believed in me or supported me, so I had to work harder than than any animal who ever walked through that academy. I was doing a hundred sit ups, a hundred push ups, running 5 miles and I was up most nights studying just to make it through to the next semester."

Nick was now oblivious to the scene Judy was making as her voice got louder and angrier and what she did next caught the attention of nearly everyone in the gym. She pulled Nick's hands down past her hips and rested them on her thighs. His paws had run down both cheeks of her shapely rump and Nick laid his ears back in fear and swallowed down a hard lump that had been forming in his throat. His large paws spanned almost the entire length of her hard thighs and he shrank when he realized his thumbs had wrapped around her legs and were now just inches from her crotch. Nick's eyes darted down towards his hand and then back up into her eyes. He didn't dare look away from her fiery, determined eyes for long as she said, "This is the product of my hard work, so that nobody could tell me where my place was in the world. I am the only one who can determine that! I thought you believed in that too, that you were ready to prove to everyone that you are more than some sleazy, conniving, lazy fox but then you try to tell me that training with me wouldn't be _appropriate_? Says who?"

Nick was dumbfounded and stunned when Judy violently ripped her gaze from him. She glared into the crowed that had formed around the ring. She spotted the giant grizzly grinning stupidly and trying hard not to laugh. She pointed him out, "And what do you think is so funny? Do you think I'm wrong? That I have no place here?"

The grizzly tilted his head back and roared with laughter. "Aw, you poor, sweet, cute, little bunny. You can't fight nature. You can only be what you are." Nick remembered he once told her almost the same exact words and she had proved him wrong then.

Judy puffed out her chest as she turned towards the bear before challenging him coldly, "fine, then come in here and prove your right."

The bear was still snickering as he climbed into the ring, "Oh, that'll be too easy." Nick saw his towering form and snapped back into reality.

"Judy stop! You don't have to do this. You're right. I was dumb. I'm sorry!" Nick stammered but Judy just shot him a warning glare that told him to get out of the way.

Nick slinked to the edge of the ring as Judy squared her shoulders towards the large bear. He nearly fainted as the bear sent a giant fist down towards Judy crushing the floor of the boxing ring. The crowd let out wild hoots but Judy had dodged the blow completely and stood mere inches from the grizzly's large furry arm. The bear let out a confused grunt but quickly recovered and reached out to grab the lithe rabbit with his other arm. Judy hopped high over the reaching fist and over the bear's head coming back down on him like a stone. She jumped back up off his head and came down once again onto the end of his muzzle with a series of sharp kicks like a terrible dance on the poor bear's nose.

Judy landed before the bear and bounced gently on her toes as the grizzly let out a howl of pain. He shook his head before fixating on the little bunny that had embarrassed him and wounded his pride more than his nose. The bear charged at Judy. Once again she easily dodged the large beast, this time rolling off to the side. She then ran to the far end of the boxing ring and leapt off the corner pole. She sailed gracefully in the air and at the last minute twisted herself to land a hard kick once again to the bear's nose. She leaped off the nose as the bear reared back in pain, flipped and landed hard on all fours before the bear and swiftly bounced back up, launching herself like a torpedo into the bear's gut.

The bear fell backwards moaning and Judy flew through the air and landed lightly at the other end of the ring. Her shoulders still square and her fists balled but it was for no reason as the bear waved his surrender. The entire gym burst in excited whoops and howls and Judy finally relaxed her muscles but Nick could still see rage in her eyes as she turned on him.

"This is Zootopia," she called victoriously, "I can choose to be whatever I want and I do not need anyone's old fashioned concepts of what is or isn't _appropriate_ holding me back." Now she was talking just to Nick, her voice becoming gradually more gentle. "Do not ever underestimate me because of my size, my species, my gender, my anything. I am capable of more than you can imagine and I just want the same for you, but you have to trust in me. Please, don't be afraid."

Judy held out her hand for Nick to join her back into the ring and the grizzly lumbered into the shower rooms as the rest of the animals returned back to their exercises. For the next hour Judy tutored Nick on proper form and how to use their small size as an advantage over larger opponents. They finished with a few exercises before they both left with their heads held high and their bodies high on endorphins.


	3. Judy and the Skulk

"Hmm it sucks that I can't go home for mother's day," Judy whined into her phone, "I have to work that morning and this'll be my first mother's day away from home."

A few more months had passed since Nick and Judy began going to the gym. Nick was more than halfway through his program at the academy and thanks to Judy's excellent training, he was passing all his courses with near perfect marks. He did think about that first day at the gym on rare occasions though. Sometimes he would even dream about alternate endings for that day. Most of them resulted in him waking up in a cold sweat.

He realized that he had become madly attracted to the little bunny but he was determined to keep this a well guarded secret and suppress the feelings. He enjoyed his time with her immensely, but she was a good girl who would never go for a fox so it was best to keep his distance. Yes, the attraction was so strong it was painful sometimes, but he was accustomed to hiding his feelings and he was quite good at it.

"Tell me about what you're doing," the bunny continued, "Maybe it will cheer me up."

"I'm just doing the same thing I do every year," Nick said plainly back through the phone.

"Well tell me about it. I don't know anything about your mom." Judy pressed.

"Why do you want to know about my mom, carrots? It's not like I ask you about your parents?" Nick didn't like talking about his family. He never knew his dad but his mom worked harder than two parents combined to make sure Nick had everything he needed growing up. She was a strong vixen that Nick couldn't be more proud of.

"Because you don't have to," Judy shot back, "notice that _I_ was talking about your _mom_ and you came back asking about my _parents_. Like, you just assumed that my parents are still together, which they are. And, the first day we met you were able to correctly guess that they were carrot farmers. What more could I tell you that you haven't already ascertained yourself."

Judy could hear the smile in his voice as he called her a sly bunny, to which she gave the customary response of calling him a dumb fox. Nick paused before relenting, "Every year I take my mom out for dinner. This year we are going to the Fish and Fowl around eight which is fine except she is bringing her boyfriend. who. is. a. tool."

"Boyfriend? Tell me more!" Judy perked up.

"Eh," Nick groaned into the phone, "he's OK I guess. He just rubs me the wrong way and it makes things awkward and I want to rip his face off for no reason whenever I have to even listen to him breathe. But I'm a grown ass fox and have to behave myself." Nick had never actually said these words out loud to anyone but it felt surprisingly good to let it out.

"Oh," Judy said and then paused like she was trying to figure something out before blurting "Hey, what if I came with you to dinner!"

Nick almost laughed. "You want to come to an awkward dinner? Why? I did mention we were going to the Fish and Fowl right? Do you know what that is?"

"Yeah" Judy chirped sounding way too excited, "they cater to predators right? It'll be perfect. Everyone will be so distracted by the bunny sitting and eating with predators that I'll absorb all the awkwardness and leave none for you."

"Judy, I don't kn-"

"Ooh and i can go shopping for a pretty dress! I haven't been dress shopping in so long!"

"I'm not su-"

"Oh my gosh and I can get my fur done up all nice. Nick, I'm looking forward to this so much!"

There was a sigh on the phone. "Fine, just don't over do it bunny. It's dinner with my mom, not the prom." Nick then had to hold his phone away from his ears as a high pitched happy bunny screech blasted at him. "Carrots? I hope you know I'm deaf now." Judy apologize with a giggle. "Sorry I couldn't hear you because my ears no longer work. I will pick you up at seven. Maybe I will be able to hear again by then."

Nick and Judy finally made it to the Fish and Fowl by quarter to eight. Nick had on a royal blue button up shirt and black trousers. After Judy tucked his shirt into his pants and straightened his tie, he really did look like a "slick" nick. Judy, on the other hand, had found a lovely, purple dress that paired beautifully with her eyes along with a simple gold chain around her neck and several thin, jingly gold hoops on her left wrist. Nick didn't expect to actually arrive on time and so the two ventured to the bar to grab a couple of drinks. Nick was suckling on a lager from the bottle whereas Judy gingerly sipped on a fruity cocktail.

"Quit your pouting." Judy spoke into her glass.

Nick glared down at Judy through hooded eyes. "I'm not pouting."

"Yes you are, your ears have been laid back all night. Relax and try to enjoy yourself." Judy gave nick a sweet smile and he tried to return the gesture but his heart wasn't in it. He couldn't stand his mother's boyfriend and it felt strange getting all dressed up and going to a nice dinner with Judy.

Nick glanced around the restaurant's waiting area. He noticed that Judy was receiving a lot of stray looks from the other patrons. Maybe it was because she was a prey in a carnivorous themed restaurant like Judy predicted would happen, but when Nick noticed that the stray glances were mostly coming from other males, he began to suspect different reasons. Judy's dress was one of those styles that had the long slit down the side that went all the way up her thigh. She was sitting on a bench with the wrong leg crossed over the other, leaving that long leg exposed. Nick stole his own glance and he could see where the curve of her thigh met with the curve of her butt.

Nick took a quick swig of his drink to wash away any sexy bunny thoughts. As he did so, he glanced out the front windows to see his mother and her boyfriend walking up to the door. He gave Judy a nudge and they both moved towards the door. His mother spied nick right away and threw her arms wide open for a hug as she called his name. Nick swept in and gave her a tight squeeze, then he turned to the other fox and gave him a strong, polite pawshake.

"Hey boy," the older male fox said, "where's our table? You didn't forget to make the reservations did you?"

"Hmm," Nick smiled. Judy recognized the smile right away and knew that behind it Nick was thinking something that was the opposite of friendly, it was unfriendly. "Good to see you too Paul and no, I didn't forget to make the reservations but it is still early. I'm sure our table is being cleaned off for us right now. Mom, Paul this is my friend Judy that I told you about. Judy this is my mother, Ruby, and her boyfriend, Paul."

Judy leaned in to shake both their paws. Nick's mother looked just like him except she had rich brown eyes, instead of Nick's bright green, and the fur was speckled with grey fur. The other fox, Paul, looked much different. His eyes were a lighter brown and his muzzle had a slight downward curve, opposite of nick and his mother. Paul's coat also lacked the vibrancy of Nick's and he had a rather large beer belly.

"Oh it is wonderful to meet you, dear. Nicky has told me so much about you. First rabbit officer is that right?" Rudy patted Judy's hand lovingly. Her voice was low and gravely but full of warmth.

"She's a rabbit," Paul said to Nick disapprovingly. Judy noticed Nick's chest puff up slightly but it was Ruby who backhanded the portly fox in his great belly.

"You knew that." Ruby scolded, before turning to Judy and sweetly adding "Please don't mind Paul, he can be a bit of an ass when he is hungry."

"Sorry, I just thought that when the boy said he was bringing over a lady friend I thought he meant a _lady_ lady friend." Paul blurted out without thinking. Judy could now see why Nick disliked the guy so much. She looked over at him, his ears were laid back and his smile was gone. Nick looked like he was ready to hit the guy.

Nick fought to bite his tongue for his mother's sake when he heard a sweet voice call his name, "Mr. Wilde? Your table is ready." A pretty little ocelot waitress with an arm full of menus smiled sweetly at the foxes. Ruby steered Paul after the server and placed herself between the two male foxes. Before following after his mother Nick felt a small paw on his arm. Judy looked up at him with her large eyes as if to ask if he was OK but no words came from her mouth. Nick sighed and felt some of the tension leave his body. He gave Judy a quick nod before following the foxes and ocelot.

It had been a long time since Nick had allowed anyone to aggravate him so much, but hearing the person he could stand the least insult the person he admired the most made his blood boil.

They sat at their table and began perusing the menus. Aware of the tension, Ruby tried making conversation about all the choices and asked the other members at the table what they were ordering. Judy, however, was the only one who seemed to pick up on the hint and the two females got into a spirited discussion of their species' different dietary needs.

The effort seemed to be paying off as their combined voices chatting pleasantly seemed to be putting Nick in a more relaxed mood. The ocelot returned shortly to take the party's orders. After she left, Ruby turned to Nick with a smile and asked with a laugh, "So tell me about your classes. How is school?"

"School? Aren't you a little old to be going back to school?" Paul inquired. First Nick was a "boy" and now he was too old? Could this guy make up his mind?

"Actually," Judy answered on Nick's behalf, "Nick has been acing all his theory and law courses and we have been working together to improve his physical abilities to improve his PE courses." Judy beamed with pride at Nick's direction.

"What's this? Ya can't pass gym class?" Paul mocked.

"Oh, the physical components are actually quite grueling at the academy." Judy corrected, "When I was there I learned how to take down animals of all sizes from tiny mice to large elephants. Plus the obstacle course is no joke!"

"And I wouldn't be able to do it without Judy's training," Nick chimed in giving Judy's hand a grateful squeeze.

"Eh, it still doesn't sit right with me, the idea of a fox cop." Paul leaned back in his chair and scratched his big belly. "A fox is too cunning for handing out tickets. Sales, that is where foxes belong. You know Nicholas, when this whole cop thing doesn't pan out I can always get you a position at my mattress store. You'd make a great salesman. Foxes always do."

Nick felt the heat rise in his head again but Judy kept rolling, "Actually, Chief Bogo and I agree that a fox's unique perspective could be an invaluable resource, one that helped considerably on my first case. You might remember when those animals went missing only to turn up in a savage state outside the city a few months ago. We were the ones who found them and the perpetrators behind their condition," Judy added with a touch of smugness.

"So you're the bunny cop that made things difficult for us predators for a while. Really hurt my mattress sales then and caused a bit of grief for some of my buddies," Paul glared at Judy and Nick could see Judy shrink a bit in shame.

"Tensions have always wavered between preds and prey. If it weren't for Judy, things would have only gotten worse and maybe your buddies deserve some of the shit they get," Nick fought to keep his cool but he could tell he was losing it.

Both Judy and Ruby glanced at Nick, perfectly aware of the tone in Nick's voice. There was a challenge there, as if Nick was daring Paul to say just one bad thing about Judy.

"Yes, but-"

It was then the server brought their meals and Paul was instantly sidetracked. The ocelot handed out a baked haddock with a side of roasted veggies for Ruby, shrimp scampi for Nick, chicken caesar salad, hold the chicken, for Judy and an order of chicken wings, fried calamari and a plate of spaghetti with meatballs for Paul. With all the food Paul was now too preoccupied to hold a conversation leaving Nick and his mother to freely catch up. It took sometime for Nick's mood to lighten up as the three animals spoke.

Things were going well at the call center where she worked and Nick talked about joining the gym with Judy and other things related to his classes. Ruby even asked Judy various questions about her life such as why she chose to be a cop and what her biggest obstacles were to becoming one. Judy asked about Nick as a kit and Ruby was more than happy to share some mildly embarassing stories. Nick was pleased that his mother and Judy were getting along so nicely.

The end of the meal was equally as pleasant, apparently a full Paul was much more tolerable Paul. Nick paid for the meal and the four of them walked out of the restaurant together. Paul waddled off to find his car and while he was away the ladies said their goodbyes.

"It was wonderful meeting you dearie." Ruby said rubbing Judy's hands warmly.

"it was great meeting you as well," Judy said brightly. She then turned to nick and said, "how about I give you two a few moments to say goodbye, I'll be right over there."

Nick watched judy saunter off.

"You know Nicky, it might be a good thing she's not a vixen," Ruby said also watching Judy, "if she were id have to do everything in my power to make sure you marry that girl. You'd hate me for it.". Ruby looked up into Nick's eyes giving him a knowing look.

"Oh, Mom, i-it's not like that," Nick stammered.

"No, no of course not. She's a bunny, you're a fox I didn't mean to suggest anything," Ruby nodded a little too enthusiastically, "it's just," she paused, "you seemed different tonight. I know Pauly gets to you but tonight?". Ruby gave a shrug, "You usually don't let people get under your skin so much but when Pauly insulted your little friend there, well you were puffed so big I swore you were gonna bite the fatso.". Ruby chuckled then turned to Nick and held his head in her hands. She looked deep into his eyes, "that's a good thing Nicky. You've had these walls up and hid behind them for twenty some odd years. It warms my heart that you've finally met someone who can pull them down. You can't be truly happy when you're hiding all the time. Please, take a chance at happiness."

Ruby raised her eyebrows high, daring Nick to refute her. Instead he just wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug. "I can never hide anything from you can I ma?"

"Of course, who taught you how to read people in the first place? You didn't learn that in any school." Ruby shrugged. She gave him a last warm smile before turning to find Paul.

"Oh," Ruby called without turning around, "I've still got your gramma's ring. Not that I'm suggesting anything. I'm just saying."

With that Nick smiled and turned to find his bunny.


	4. It's Called a Hustle

It was just over a week since the mother's day dinner and not much had changed since then. Nick and judy still hung out as friends. They started doing morning runs as the weather warmed, though they argued whether the runs were more leisurely jogs or torture sessions designed for killing foxes. They also ate most of their dinners together, generally take out of some kind at Judy's place. Nick refused to hang out at his place and he found that he thoroughly enjoyed messing with Judy's loud neighbors. Then, after dinner they would watch a movie on judy's new laptop or she would help him study for an exam. By ten they would part and each night Nick would kick himself for missing opportunities to tell Judy how he felt or to steal a kiss.

Snuggling up close, staring at Judy's laptop became down right painful and Judy loved to snuggle. He could feel her muscular body and the amazingly soft fur that covered it. And he could smell her, oh how he could smell her! Just by sitting next to her and breathing he could tell if her day was stressful or easy, what area of town she had been in and what other animals she had dealt with. Underneath all those atmospheric smells he could smell her natural odor. It was light and subtle and not the least bit offensive. On her more stressful days the smell was stronger and made him want to pin her down and make love to her.

He fantasized about ripping her clothes off and ravaging her small body in every way imaginable, but then what would the consequences of that be? Would she push him off her and be angry at him for taking advantage of their friendship? Would he hurt her and she would be angry or fearful of him? Or maybe he would get lucky. She might let him in and they would date but what if they found out that they were incompatible as a couple. Maybe they did date and in the break up would they come to hate each other like many ex's do? Even in the best case scenario, the two could fall in love only to suffer the stigmas that come with interspecies relationships as well as the possible scorn from friends and family.

Being open was hard. And scary.

Finally he decided that he couldn't just leave things be as they were. He had to make the leap from friendship to romance no matter the consequences but realized that in his heart of hearts he was still a hustler and could use his skills to try and consciously steer events into his favor. It took him a few days to think things completely through and make his plan but when he was finished, he felt like even if he failed in his mission he would still be able to salvage the friendship like nothing even happened. Above all, he wanted to ensure the safety of his and Judy's friendship.

"Carrots," it was Friday afternoon, a good time for friends and lovers alike to hang out on the town. Nick had, what could be described as a lovely, if simple, evening planned for the two. However, in order for his plan to work, he had to give Judy the sense that she was the one in control. "I'm bored, let's go out tonight." he whined

"Hmm, OK. You've been studying a lot this week, I think we could both use some fun," judy scratched her ears, "what do you want to do?"

"I don't think it matters really. I just need to get out of here," Nick said apathetically. It was the truth, it didn't matter what the did as much as how they did it.

"We could go to your place?"

"No" Nick said flatly. Judy giggled. She was clearly expecting that response.

"We could catch a movie?" Judy suggested. She pulled out her phone and began looking at the selections. "We could watch _Deadpuma_?"

"Eh, I'm really over superhero movies."

"How about _Goatbusters_?"

"Gross."

"Fine, there is a new Jack Savage movie?"

"Seen it." Nick lied.

"ok, what about _Sleepless in Zootopia_?". Judy was getting an edge of frustration into her voice.

"Hm-mm...maybe?" Jackpot. Nick didn't want to seem like he was actually interested in the movie, which he wasn't, but a romantic flick would be perfect for his plans.

"Really?" Judy was skeptical. Nick knew he needed to take caution.

"What, there's nothing else I want to watch?" He replied innocently enough.

"OK forget the movie," Judy said. Nick suppressed a groan. "How about we go get some burritos and then hit the bars? Maybe we can go dancing? You must know some good places?"

"Of course I know good places we can drink and, well, you can dance. I don't dance," Nick kept his face casual but he lept for joy at the suggestion. He knew the most romantic section of Zootopia for club hopping. It was right near a lovely stretch of river down in the jungle district.

"Aw OK, well I'm gonna go gussy up. If you won't dance with me I'll just have to dance by myself. Maybe I can find a boyfriend by the end of the night and you'll have to walk home alone tonight." Judy teased and she swayed her hips on the way to the bathroom.

 _I hope you do find a boyfriend tonight,_ Nick thought. He fiddled with his phone until judy came out of the bathroom. She was wearing a short cropped jacket over a plain, tight white t-shirt and pair of tight black jeans that made her legs look amazing. She had on a plethora of small silver earrings, bracelets and necklaces that all worked together cohesively making her look overall tough yet enticing and extremely sexy.

Nick had to pick his jaw up off the floor, "Wow Jude, you didn't get that outfit at the carrot farm did you?"

"Don't be a jerk," Judy scolded, "You know I look good!". She struck a few innocent but sexy poses just for emphasis and Nick could feel himself getting warm in the face.

"Do I know that?" Nick teased back and thought Yes _, dear god, yes I do._

On their way to the subway, judy convinced nick of something he had already realized, that compared to her, he was very underdressed. Unfortunately, he still wouldn't relent and go to his apartment to change so instead they stopped into a store and Nick picked out a whole new outfit. He was now wearing a slick black button down shirt tucked into a matching black pair of slacks. He also picked out a solid, bright red tie and Judy found a cute hat that went with her outfit perfectly.

Together the two strolled into the first club feeling like a million bucks each. They started the evening off with a couple of shots and as more people entered the club, the place quickly turned into a party. Judy tried to get nick to dance with her several times but was unsuccessful each time. Nick was perfectly happy watching the little bunny swing her hips and wave her arms on her own.

Nick did grow concerned for a time however when a larger brown hare came in and put Judy in his sights. The hare was closer to Nick's height than Judy's and he suddenly walked right up behind her and began dancing, his hips grinding up against hers. Nick watched as Judy gave a surprised jump but after an exchange of smiles the two animals continued dancing. The hare placed his hands on Judy's hips and Judy raised her arms high above her head as she danced sexualy with him on the floor.

Nick couldn't take his eyes off the pair. He was surprised by this party girl side of her. Judy slid down the hare's body like a pole and Nick could feel arousal and jealousy boil up inside as the hare ran his hands all over her. Nick debated the merits of interrupting the dancing duo versus the risk of coming off as a jealous jerk, either way the hare was a dangerous threat to his plans.

Nick was still trying to figure out how to deal with this new complication when Judy glanced his way. She held Nick's gaze for only a few moments while she was with the hare and Nick gave her a nervous smile and nod before she looked away. Nick was good and reading people and he knew full well what that glance meant. She may be with the hare but she was thinking of Nick.

The song ended and Judy came bouncing back to the bar, right next to Nick and ordered another shot.

"Are you having fun? Making any new friends?" Nick teased her. She was drenched in sweat and Nick's keen nose was definitely picking up some particular pheromones.

"Who? That neanderthal?" She tossed back her shot quickly, "Yeah I might take him home, if I want an STD and to feel like a cheap floozy in the morning."

Nick looked into the crowed for the hare and saw him staring at in his direction. Nick raised his beer slightly towards the hare in a victory toast to himself. The hare turned away and found a new friend to dance with.

"Let's go someplace else." Nick suggested holding his arm out for judy.

Judy looped her arm through his with a smile as they walked to the next bar.

The second club really wasn't much different from the first but the walk over gave judy the chance to cool down. They came in and went straight to the bar for their first drink. Judy then decided she wanted more dancing and she was finally able to drag Nick out to the dance floor. He stayed out for only one song as he really didn't have any good moves but he put his hands around Judy as she tried to get his hips to sway to the music. After the one pathetic attempt at a dance, Nick and Judy found a table to hang out at where they ordered more drinks and talked.

After many hours, both nick and judy were feeling quite tipsy. Before they realized what time it was, the DJ announced last call and the two animals stumbled out the door. Nick guided Judy to the riverfront where they walked together in the romantic atmosphere. Judy was constantly trying to touch Nick, whether she was holding Nick's hand or pulling on his arm or knocking him off balance with a solid hip check. Nick could see the distant horizon slowly beginning to glow so he decided it was time for them to head home. Judy, who was still feeling quite tipsy, agreed.

Like a gentle-tod, Nick offered to walk Judy to her apartment rather than part ways. When they arrived outside the Grand Pangolin Arms, Judy gave Nick's hand an extra tight squeeze.

"I had a great time," Judy said with a smile.

"Me too Carrots." Now was the time to spring his trap.

Nick mustered up all his courage. With his free hand nick lifted judys chin and he closed his eyes and leaned over. His lips gently pressed against hers. The world suddenly gave a violent twist and he could feel Judy freeze then soften at his touch.

With a smile, Nick broke the kiss, turned, and wordlessly walk away.

This was the moment of truth.

In the best case scenario Judy would be stunned for a moment before calling out to him or chasing him. She would probably be upset at Nick for the unsolicited kiss but if she were more concerned with _how_ a fox and bunny could ever be together or if she were simply more flustered than angry then he knew he had successfully stolen her heart.

Nick passed by the first building

On the other hand, she could call after him and be upset that he took advantage of their friendship. If that were the case he could try to save himself by blaming the alcohol. Things might get awkward for a few days but he was confident that he could save their friendship.

Nick passed by another building.

The worst case scenario would be of she didn't call after him. It could be that she was completely offended by the gesture.

He passed by another building.

Maybe she was so upset that she was shaking in rage and she was trying to cool herself down before she ripped his ears off.

Nick approached the corner. He could feel a weight growing in the pit of his stomach.

Maybe she was hurt by the kiss and she ran into her apartment in tears. Maybe she was sobbing into her pillow right now.

Nick turned the corner and stopped. He listened. He heard no feet chasing after him, no voice calling his name. Nothing.

He plodded the rest of the way to a bus stop and dumped himself onto the bench.

 _I really am a dumb fox. A stupid, greedy, cowardly fox._

Just then Nick felt his pocket shake and vibrate. He reached in and pulled out his phone. There was a text from Judy. A glimmer of hope maybe? He unlocked his phone.

J - Hey you!

N - Hey?

J - Where did you go?

N - It's late. I figured you'd be ready for bed.

J - OK yes but what was that on the stoop?

N - I don't know what you're talking about.

J - You do too. You can't just kiss a gal and leave her in a swooning stupor.

N - Seriously? Swooning stupor?

J - Shut up. I'm gonna kick your butt so hard next time I see you! You better be ready!

N - Night carrots. ❤

J - Night Slick Nick. ❤

And with that, Nick floated back to his apartment on cloud nine.


	5. Fox Anatomy (Explicit)

**Author's Note: Contains Explicit Material of a Sexual Nature**

The following Saturday the two animals slept all day in their own separate apartments dreaming of each other but it wouldn't be long before they were back together with the excitement that comes with new love.

Judy was the first to waken and she immediately sent nick a little heart emoji before starting her morning routine, even though it was well past noon. She dreamily turned on her shower and began brushing her teeth while she waited for the hot water to come one. Her mind drifted back to the previous night. She thought about the feel of Nick's lips on hers and she grew warm all over. She undressed and stepped into the steamy shower. She thought about the dancing last night. Even when she was rubbing against the hare, subconsciously, she knew she wanted it to have been Nick instead. The hare was honestly rather repulsing, coming up and gyrating on a perfect stranger. Gross. She only went along with it because she was hoping Nick would get jealous and come to her.

Standing in the shower she imagined Nick grinding up against her like the hare had done last night. She swayed her hips slowly imagining the feel of his pelvis behind her.

Why had she never thought about Nick in this manner before? He was attractive, especially for a fox, and she admired his quick wit and ability to talk anyone into almost anything. Also, since they started working out together, his already lean body was hardening and becoming more muscular. All in all he was very sexy when Judy thought about it.

She thought about those muscular arms of his wrapping around her body. His pelvis still behind her. She leaned forward, the water streaming down her body, and she placed one paw in front of her on the wall for support.

She imagined Nick kissing her neck and shoulders as he reached his hand down her belly. His hand and her hand were the same as the imaginary Nick reached between her legs. She rubbed herself as her phantom lover leaned into her. She could feel his erection pressing on her backside and then she stopped. Her eyes flew open with a realization.

Erection.

Penis.

Fox penis.

Big fox penis?

Not counting the ears, Nick was more than a foot taller than her. He was a completely different species from her. What would sex with a fox even be like? Did they have any strange quirks when they mated? What if rabbits had mating quirks that he thought were weird. No, rabbits hump and snuggle. There is nothing weird with that right? Did foxes have the same penis to body size ratio as rabbits? Would Nick be too big if they did? What if he was so big it hurt to have sex? What if he was so big that he couldn't even fit inside her? Judy shook her head. What if he had an elephant's trunk for a penis with porcupine quills instead of pubic fur?

She decided to do some research and hopped out of the shower. She dried off and reached for her laptop when she heard her phone chime.

One new text from Nick. She opened it.

N - ❤ coffee?

Judy's knees gave way and she collapsed on her bed. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst from her chest.

J - Just got out of the shower. Where do you want to meet?

Judy opened the browser on her phone. What was she going to look up? Medical sites? Search engines? Porn?

A new message.

N - Starfox on Williams st? 30 minutes?

Judy inhaled sharply. Her hands were shaking. What was she getting herself into. She sent her confirmation text and jumped up to get dressed. She could probably jog to Williams st. Just as fast as take the bus so Judy decided to throw on her running gear. She needed the run to clear her head.

One thirty minute jog later Judy had arrived at Starfox's. Nick was nowhere to be seen and there was almost no line at the counter. Judy decided that between the running and this morning's shock she should grab something light. When she reached the counter she asked for an chamomile tea with milk

"Vente black, two sugars," came a charming voice unexpectedly behind her. Judy jumped up and stared at Nick with wide eyes. "Oh hey there Carrots." Nick gave a smug smile, clearly proud of his scare tactic. She glared at him and wondered if she could put up with the immature torture he liked to throw her way. Nick gave her shoulders a tight squeeze and kissed the top of her head and she forgave him. Their drinks were ready quickly and Nick turned towards a bright table towards the front but judy grabbed at his elbow and nodded to a smaller table tucked off to the side.

Judy fingered her cup gingerly as she dunked her tea bag into her steamy cup. Nick could sense her tension and grew worried as well.

"You OK there Carrots?" Nick asked cautiously.

Judy wrung her hands trying to find the right words to say, "Nick, I really had a great time last night and I do care about you, really I do." Nick felt that weight enter back into his stomach. "I'd love to see where we can, you know, go together. I just don't know how, we'll get there." Judy spit the words out awkwardly and looked up into his confused face, "you know. Biologically?"

A long awkward moment passed between the two animals before nick burst into laughter. Judy realized it was kind of cute how nick stuck his tongue out just a little bit before he laughed.

"Really Buns? You're worried about this already?" Nick grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss. "How about we just go on a few dates first, when you're comfortable we'll start fooling around. At that point we will both know what we're working with and can make our decisions on where to go from there."

Judy appreciated Nick's sweetness but she wasn't fully convinced. "But what if we're not compatible? In that way? Are you really OK with with having a girlfriend that you can't do...things...with?"

"Then I will still have an amazing, beautiful girlfriend that I love and admire more than words can share." Nick said sincerely as he caressed judy's small paws.

Judy could feel her ears get warm as she realized what he was saying.

"Love?"

"Did I say love?" Nick asked coolly, "Why yes, yes I did."


	6. Nick's Place (explicit)

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers." Judy exclaimed as she stood open mouthed at the tangled mess that was Nick's apartment.

Life was going pretty well for the fox and bunny. Nick continued studying and training with Judy but now that they were dating Judy was able to implement a new system of rewards for his hard work. It wasn't anything too risque, just cute little things like sitting on his feet and giving him a kiss every time he completed a sit up.

One day however, Nick had come over to study but instead the two animals got to kissing and before either one of them knew what was happening they were locked tight in each other's arms and making out like they were both teenagers again. Nick couldn't get enough of the small bunny. He loved the softness of her fur, the feel of her flesh underneath and the way she smelled, especially on her neck just under her chin. He was kissing that exact spot as his hands slid up her shirt. Judy could feel his claws gently graze against her skin, sending a tingly feeling in their wake. Nick grasped at Judy's breast with one hand, and she let out a small moan. She arched her back into him and his other hand slid down to her hips when suddenly…

"OH MY GOD! NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOU TWO FUCKING!"

Nick was so startled that he completely fell off the bed pulling Judy down with him. They landed in a tangled heap.

"WHY YOU GOTTA BE COCK BLOCKING THE COP?! QUIT BEING SUCH A DICK!"

Judy had been lucky that her noisy neighbors were more often out than home but apparently tonight she wasn't so lucky.

"OH AND I'M SURE YOU WANT TO HEAR THEN BANGING YOU PERV!"

"You want to go out?" Judy suggested.

"DON'T CALL ME A PERV, ASSHOLE!"

"Is this really happening right now? That was the tiniest little moan!" Nick was aghast.

"JUST SHUT UP JERK!"

Just then a thought passed through Judy's mind that made her feel quite cunning. "I bet you don't have this problem at your place."

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"No" Nick replied flatly.

"Oh, come on Nick. Why won't you let me see your place? Wait!" Judy gasped with realization, "That bridge from a few months ago, where Finnick said I could find you! That's not your home is it?"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

Nick gave her a disgusted glare, "Uh, no Judy I'm not homeless!"

"Then why won't you let me come over to your place?" Judy asked shrewdly.

"JUST SHUT UP!"

"Fine," he said to Judy at last, he didn't think he could handle her pestering or the yelling much longer, "let's just go."

"Wait, really? Now?" Judy was surprised.

"What now you don't want to go?" Nick barked a little too harshly. Judy looked up at him with her big sad eyes. "Sorry, let's just get out of here."

Judy gave the grumpy fox a big hug before she whispered in his ear, "I tell you what, when we get to your place we can pick up where we left off." She reached down and played with the button on Nick's pants.

"Fine, let's go. I suppose it had to happen at some point in time," Nick sighed. He doubted that Judy would never be able to live up to her promise.

Thanks to Nick's impressive memorization of the city's public transport schedules and stops, it took less than ten minutes to get from Judy's apartment in the city center down to Nick's place in Sahara Square. When they walked up to the building Judy didn't think it looked too bad, in fact it looked twice as nice as her building. Things got confusing however when Nick lead her to the back of the building through a small alley. She and Nick walked through the space just fine but she imagined some larger animals like bears and lions might have a tight squeeze.

Nick lead her down a few steps and unlocked a door with a grumpy, "Home sweet home."

Nick ushered Judy in first and she looked in aw at the twisted maze of pipes hanging from the ceiling. Some of them banged and rattled. There were buckets, glasses, cups and bowls littered throughout the place catching drips. Nick's furniture was sparse, worn and dilapidated and Judy could smell mold in the dank air. To one side she could see a large utility sink overflowing with dishes, a microwave that blinked "12:00" and a beat up yellow fridge that looked like it was made over forty years ago. Near that were the half gaping open doors to an elevator with an out of order sign taped to it.

"Sweet cheese and crackers." she exclaimed.

"I know it lacking a bit of charm, but it is spacious, close to local transit and the rent is cheap." He explained like he was trying to sell the place. He looked at the back of her head nervously as she wandered into the next room.

In the next room Judy saw even more pipes, and cups and bowls and a random assortment of furniture. There was a desk and chair with papers strewn all over it, a giant dresser with the bottom drawer hanging out and a night stand with just a digital clock. Clothes were hanging haphazardly on hangers from the various pipes or in piles on the floor and at the opposite end of the room was the bathroom which was missing its door.

"Niiiick?" Judy called

"Yes sweetie?" He called back, trying to sound cheerful.

"Where's your bed?"

A wave of panic and frustration ran through Nick as he reached for the little bunny. He grabbed her shoulders and gently guided her back to the living/kitchen area and sat her down on a lumpy couch. "Eh, heh heh heh. Why don't you come take a seat dear?"

Judy was still looking around wide eyed as she spoke in awe, "Nick, you really let this place go."

" _I_ let this place go?" He huffed, "it was like this when I moved in!"

"Well you or somebody," Judy corrected gently. She turned to him and he was concerned by the bright look in her eyes. "Luckily, you bagged yourself a country girl. I bet I can have this whole place cleaned and polished and free of drips and mold in one weekend."

"Really Carrots? One weekend?" Nick asked skeptically.

Judy gave a nod and a hum, "I can't move the pipes but I guarantee I can stop their leaking, and I can clear out all the mold, clean the place up, throw on a new coat of paint, plus a door for your bathroom and make the whole apartment just sparkle!"

"Sparkle? This dank dungeon?"

"OK well not literally, but your plates will and hopefully most of the pipes too. If you help me." She added cheerfully.

"I don't believe it," Nick said shrewdly, "I don't think it's possible."

"Hmm, no? Do you want to place a bet on it?" Judy knew nick was always looking for the opportunity to get in a good scam even if he did clean up his act.

"Fine," Nick leaned over her seductively, "oral for oral then." He knew it was over the top, but he didn't really want to put forth the effort to fix up the place and so he hoped to scare her off. "You have from sun up Saturday to sundown on Sunday to fix, clean, paint and polish every square inch of this place. If you can do it, I'll lick those cute, little, bunny bits till you squeal, but when you fail, because you will, you will have the pleasure of pleasuring me with that sweet little tongue off yours."

Judy could feel Nick's presence weighing down on her. Her face and ears grew hot as she thought of Nick's fox penis. She still hadn't seen it and wasn't sure what she would be dealing with. Judy thought Nick was being awfully bold for how far they had gotten. She swallowed hard, building her courage. She nodded, "Deal, but you have to help me and we will need a vehicle to get the supplies."

"Deal," he said sealing it with a kiss. He kissed her again, this time with more passion and she kissed him back. Judy could feel her body get warm. Her desire for him was beginning to boil, despite her fear of what her new boyfriend was packing. Once again Nick was kissing and licking Judy's neck and she moaned and grasped at his back. He placed one paw beside Judy to support himself while the other ran lightly down the side of her body to her hips. He reached back and gave Judy's tight butt a good squeeze before he pulled it up towards his own body. Judy's legs curled up and wrapped around his back. She was afraid but at the same time she wanted him inside her more than anything at that moment.

Judy began unbuttoning Nick's shirt as he brought his paw back up and slid it under her's. He ran his fingers over her chest groping her small breasts. Judy undid the last button in his shirt and grabbed tightly onto Nick's waist as he simultaneously rubbed her nipples and nibbled on her neck with his small, sharp teeth. Judy gasped with pleasure and her legs tightened around Nick.

Nick gave a warm chuckle as he peeled her leg off him and she dropped back onto the couch. She stared into his dreamy hooded eyes. How could he remain so cool and aloof while she was getting so hot and bothered? Nick slid his paw up her leg and began rubbing the space where they met. She breathed heavily and looked down between their bodies. She could see the bulge of Nick's penis growing in his pants and panic ran through her. What did it look like under there? She had to get over her anxiety. She gave Nick a hard kiss for courage and reached down to unfasten his pants. Her hands trembled with all the emotions she was feeling and she struggled with the button.

Nick could sense her struggle and he leaned back on his knees to look at her. He was going to make a sly comment to mock her until he saw her face. Her eyes were glassy and full of tears. She was biting her lip and her breath was quick and shallow.

"Whoa Judy, sweetie. What's wrong? I thought we were having a good time?" He asked, his voice was full of concern.

Judy squeezed her eyes tight, "I-I'm I'm sorry. I-I think I'm just anxious? I know you won't hurt me but what if you do? You're just so much bigger than me. And this is just too weird! I mean, I've always been able to face bigger animals, just not like this. It's s just too dif-different! I-I don't know what to do. What to expect. I-I-I," Judy began to sob big wet tears.

"You bunnies are so emotional," Nick gently wiped away her tears and then scooped her up into his lap to snuggle her. She buried her face into his chest and sobbed as he rubbed her back.

"I'm sorry. I'm being ridiculous," she sighed after a while.

"It's OK carrots," Nick said gently, "maybe I was moving too fast. I knew you were nervous but I couldn't help myself."

Judy shook her head, "No, I want to do this. I have to face this fear."

"OK fluff. What do you want to do?"

Judy took a big breath, "I know it not sexy but I think I just need to see it," she looked up at Nick sheepishly.

Nick smiled warmly at her and gave her a nod. She shifted her weight on his lap and undid the button and zipper. She pulled out his member. It was soft, red and looked like a lot like a thicker rabbit's penis.

"Oh, this isn't so bad." Judy remarked and she began to rub it gently, feeling relieved.

"Yeah, that's only half mast Carrots," Nick grinned. He tilted his head back and hooked his elbows behind the couch. He was enjoying the rub down.

Judy felt a wave of horror go through her but she kept rubbing. She had to see this through to the end. Nick let out a small content sigh as he swelled in Judy's small paws.

While Nick was certainly thicker and longer than a rabbit, she chastised herself for getting so worked up.

"Nick, what are you doing?"

He looked down but saw nothing amiss so he just shrugged.

"What is this?" Judy clarified rubbing the swelling bulge at the base of his member.

"What, my knot? Oh, I forgot not all animals have that."

Judy just shook her head, "What is it? I mean what is it for?"

Nick blushed trying to think about how to explain his biology, "I-it's supposed to ensure successful, you know, mating."

"Uh, OK, maybe I'll just look it up later," Judy tried to give Nick a sweet smile but it just came out a blushing awkward mess. She could tell this was really strange for him. She tilted her head up and gave him a gentle kiss as she continued to stroke his penis, knot and all. Nick began to relax, the awkward tension slipping away as he became more absorbed in the sexual pleasure. He kissed her more deeply but kept his paws off her. He wanted to give her the space she needed. Judy was using both paws and Nick moaned into her mouth. He couldn't stand not touching her any longer so he placed one hand on the back of her head as the other ran slowly up and down the side of her body. Judy squeezed harder and stroked faster in response to his hands. He wanted so badly to flip her back onto the couch but he restrained himself. He knew Judy was worth the wait.

Nick broke off the kisses as he reached his climax. There were no tissues, napkins or towels around, so thinking quickly he placed his paw over the top of his dick to catch the gooey white fluid that shot out from his body before it stained his clothes, or worse, hit Judy in the face. He imagined Judy with a face full of semen. It was a very hot image but knew the more realistic scenario would be a very mad little bunny. Even with both hands trying to catch the mess, Nick was still covered in goop.

Judy was staring at Nick and he couldn't fight the sudden impulse. He waved his sticky hands in her face like he he was a little boy trying to scare a little girl with a frog or bug. He laughed as she jumped back in revulsion. Thankfully she then laughed too.

"OK carrots I need to wash this off," Nick declared as he wriggled his hips for Judy to get off. She moved out of the way and Nick walked to the sink, his pants slowly falling to the floor.

Judy laughed as Nick tried keeping his pants up while he walked. "Thanks Nick, I really needed that."

"I could say the same," Nick laughed, "Although you didn't quite get the same attention."

Judy smiled, "That's OK Slick. You can make up for it this weekend when I win that bet."


	7. Makeover

6:00 am Saturday rolled around Nick was snoring peacefully on his couch when he was awoken suddenly by the cheerful knocking of a little grey bunny at his door. Nick groaned and glanced at the clock before pulling his blanket back over his head. Then the knocking came again. Nick wrapped the blanket around himself and answered the door. He glared down at the cheery bunny then up into the sky.

"It's still dark. Why are you here?" Nick growled.

"I know it is still dark but according to my weather app dawn should be at 6:09 and I don't want to miss a single minute! Besides, I thought I would get here early because you would need some time to get around and I wanted to discuss our plan of attack for this place!" Judy smiled up at her fox, "So, can I come in?"

Nick growled as he stepped aside and Judy bounded in with arms full of bags. Nick closed the door and threw himself back on the couch.

"So, as I was saying, I have a whole plan of what to do and who's going to do what. But first, coffee. Hazelnut with a shot of espresso for me and 20oz black with two sugars for you.". Judy pulled out the two cups and handed one to Nick. The fact that she remembered how he liked his coffee did not go unnoticed. He sipped on the warm drink gratefully before she continued, "I've got everything I need to repair the pipes and clean away all the mold and Finnick should be over sometime around noon with the paint, door and a few other supplies."

"Wait, wait. You got Finnick to help?" Nick cut her off astounded.

"Yep!" Judy beamed with pride, "I texted him from your phone when you weren't looking. I told him the stuff was for a new scheme. He seemed happy to do another job but then he said some very unkind things about me. I don't think he likes me very much."

Nick was both proud and mortified to learn about this conversation. He knew that Finnick felt like Judy had stolen his business partner and friend from him and he would not be happy to learn that he had been tricked into helping her.

"Anyways," Judy continued, "You have three minutes to drink your coffee and get dressed and then I am putting you to work. I noticed you have a sink full of dishes, a _utility sink_ full of dishes, so you are starting there."

"Dishes really? Don't you want to start with the pipes?" Nick asked confused.

"You leave the pipes to me, I can handle those just fine on my own," Judy chirped, "You get dressed and I'll start some tunes. I don't know what you like but I have a pretty big song library so I'll just put the whole thing on shuffle if that's OK with you."

Nick nodded as he got up and put on some pants. He watched Judy set up her portable speakers and connect her tiny iPawd. He looked forward to listening to Judy's favorite music, he saw it as a way to learn more about the small bunny. You could learn a lot about a person by knowing their favorite music, movies, books, etc. He just hoped it wasn't all sugary pop stars and crap like Justin Beaver. He wasn't surprised when the first song came on. Naturally she would start with Gazelle.

" _Oh, oh, oh. Try everything!"_

Judy was already nestled up in a tangle of pipes pulling apart a roll of thin white ribbon that Nick didn't recognize when he was ready to get started on the dishes. He turned on the water and reached for the sponge when the next song came on, this time a much older song by Destiny's Cub.

 _That's two upbeat pop songs,_ Nick thought, _no surprise so far._

The next song did catch his attention, it was one of his favorites from his annoying, angsty teen years by Nine Inch Claws _._ He wondered if maybe it being on her playlist was just a bit of a fluke. He looked over his shoulder and saw her mouthing out the words as she worked.

Next was a song was by Fallout Foals, then a Guns 'n Rodents song, both were decent in Nick's opinion.

Then another one came on that surprised him. A dark melody came from the speakers that Nick immediately recognized as Whorn's _Beast on a Leash._ That was two songs in maybe a half hour with some darker tones. Did his happy little bunny have a darker side? Nick listened to that kind of music in his youth when he struggled with everyday issues that come from growing up as a fox in the city. Things like teachers and other adults assuming you were lazy and constantly up to no good. Nick was never a bad kid, he did all his homework and he was a respectful boy, but expectations have a way of turning into self fulfilling prophecies and by his teens he was figuring out ways to swindle the other kids and blackmail his teachers. Did judy have those same struggles? She seemed like the kind of person who would have gotten all A's and volunteered at nursing homes as a teen. Not someone who struggled with authority like Nick had.

Nicked finished up the dishes only to realize that half the dishes on the floor were ready to be cleaned. He was impressed, though not surprised, by Judy's efficiency and speed. She cheerfully gave him his next directions and he began gathering up all his clothes into one central location. As he did this Judy's iPawd blasted out _Crazy Train_ by Black Sable and Nick chuckled to himself as he imagined an angsty teen Judy, decked out in black and denim and wearing excessive amounts of makeup and jewelry. While Judy would probably be awfully cute with an edgier look, it just didn't match her personality.

Nick stuffed his clothes either in a garbage bag to be taken to the laundromat or folded them neatly to go into his giant dresser. Judy then had him fill a bucket with bleach and water and began scrubbing the walls with a sponge. Nick was surprised at how grimey his walls really were and how much mold grew on the pipes.

It was around two and the apartment had been completely scrubbed top to bottom when there was a bang on the door.

"Oh that must be Finnick, he's here earlier than I expected." Judy said happily.

Nick got up to open the door, "I thought you said he was going to be here around noon."

"Yeah but I didn't know what kinda guy he was so I assumed the worst and didn't actually expect him here for another hour." Judy said wiping her brow.

"Sly bunny," Nick mumbled before he opened his door. "Hey, buddy."

"Yo, why your place smell like bleach? You kill someone in here?" Finnick greeted the fox grumpily and then he saw Judy. "Oh man, did the bunny kill someone? Yo bunny, you a bad cop now? Don't you be gettin' my boy here in no trouble!"

Judy smiled and waved, "Hey little toot toot."

"Tch, bitch don't you be calling me 'little toot toot' you know my name." Finnick snarled.

"Children, children, can we behave ourselves please?" Nick asked with a pleasant smile before whispering into the smaller Fox's large ears, "and don't call my lady a bitch. Please?"

"Aw nah man! Seriously? You and the cop? It's bad enough she turned you into one of them. She's like a vampire." Finnick complained.

"She is right here," Judy reminded him. Finnick just responded by making a face at her by holding two fingers up to his mouth to mimic a vampire. Judy found the action rather redundant considering he already had fangs.

"So if you're all on the up and up, what do you need all these supplies for?" Finnick asked Nick.

"We are fixing up his apartment," Judy answered for Nick, "and I'll tell you boys what. We've been working hard so why don't I go get us some lunch and you guys can catch up and unload the van." Judy grabbed a bag and gave Nick a kiss on the cheek before heading out the door.

"I don't like her man, she's no good for you," Finnick said as he turned towards Nick's fridge.

"Oh really, and here I thought you two were getting along so swimmingly," Nick said with mock disappointment, "grab me one too."

Finnick fished out two beers and passed one to nick. "She changed you man. Look at you, following her around like some kinda puppy, cleaning, even changing careers for her."

"I'm not changing careers _for_ her. She presented me with an opportunity and I'm taking it. Isn't that what we do? Plus with this gig I don't have to worry about pissing off any gang bangers and how sweet will it be when I see said gang bangers while I'm wearing that blue uniform and pulling up in one of those big cruisers." Nick grinned viciously as he imagined all the thugs who ever messed with him scatter in the wake of his future authority.

"Or you could be a meter maid."

Nick shook his head gently, " I doubt it, the chief knows me already and helping judy with that whole night howler thing has got to give me some bonus points. This is a good thing for me, I promise."

"OK," Finnick conceded, "but consider this; what if you two break up? You really wanna be stuck working with your ex? Or worse, for her?"

"Eh, that's too many what ifs, plus the ZPD is big, there are plenty of places for me to fit in. And that's only assuming we do break up and you know what they say about assuming." Nick waved him off, "Now, enough about my girlfriend and job, tell me about what's going on with you."

Finnick gave an evil smile, "Been doin' the pawpsicle hustle without you bro. Found this cute arctic fox, she gets the supplies easier than you ever did and sells out every time with that sweet little voice and tail of her's. She's smart too but she can play the dumb broad card so easy she can get outta any scrap."

Nick laughed, "And here you were cautioning me about working with the ladies. Sounds like you should go after her."

"Aw hell no! Bitch is crazy. I've seen her with her other boys. Hm-mm," Finnick gave his beer a terrified look remembering something Nick didn't want to ask about.

The two foxes chatted over another set of beers before Judy returned with a bag stuffed with Chinese food. Judy kept the tofu and broccoli for herself, Finnick grabbed the shrimp lo mein and Nick took the General Tso's.

After lunch the three of them unloaded the van and Finnick took off. To Nick's surprise Judy had Nick move the furniture, save the couch, into the small lot behind the apartment building. She insisted that it was all still infested in mold. She planned on cleaning the furniture while nick started painting the walls. She would do the couch tomorrow so it could dry in the sun. By the time he finished the first coat Judy was done cleaning the furniture and the sun had completely set. They moved the furniture back into the apartment and both animals were completely exhausted. Judy decided she was too tired to go home so, with Nick's blessing she showered right there and the two snacked on the leftover Chinese before snuggling up on the couch, both too tired for fooling around.


	8. Result of the Bet (Explicit)

The next day Judy woke them up promptly at 6 o'clock again and after a coffee run they both got straight to work. Nick put on another layer of paint and judy organized Nick's clothes and hung a curtain separating his "bedroom" from the living room/kitchen. They worked together putting up the new bathroom door. By six the paint was still drying but the apartment was more or less finished. They agreed to go bed hunting next weekend and nick gratefully admitted to his defeat.

"So I win then? And you're not going to try to jump through any loopholes?" Judy asked in a mocking way.

"No," Nick sighed, "The only jumping I'm doing is in your pants, but do me a favor?" Judy looked up at him, "Shower first? I know we both worked hard and I don't want to be licking any swamp bunny."

"Ewww" she cringed

"Exactly," Nick said pushing Judy towards the new bathroom door. Nick thought about jumping in with her but if he was going to live up to his end of the wager he was going to need a sandwich and a short rest. He made himself a quick pb&j and one for Judy in case she wanted one. He then threw himself on the couch to rest his eyes.

He was nearly asleep when a soft "Ahem" stirred him from his rest. Judy was standing above his head completely bare of all clothing save the towel she was still using to dry her ears. Nick gave a sharp inhale and his nose was filled with the scent of wet bunny. He quickly took in all her curves with his eyes and he felt his heart tighten in his chest. Judy gave him a smile and leaned over to give him a quick tender kiss. She made to move away but Nick's hand shot out instinctively to stop her. He gave Judy a hard stare that made her feel like she was about to become his prey, although not in a violent way. He sat up and pulled her close and she allowed herself to be pulled into him. She collapsed onto his lap and he kissed her hard. His muzzle pressed hard against her lips and she could hardly breathe as his tongue invaded her mouth. His hands pulled her close to his body and he grasped her rump with both hands.

Judy broke from the kiss with a gasp, "Whoa there Slick. Are you going to eat me out or just plain eat me?"

Nick blinked away his sex crazed stupor. He hadn't felt this horny since his adolescence and he had never lost control like that with any vixen. A sly thought crossed his mind and he threw Judy down onto the couch violently.

"Maybe I will eat you. What would you do if I tried?" Nick ran his tongue from her hips all the way to her breast savagely. "How long has it been since any fox has tasted rabbit flesh? I could make history."

Judy's body trembled in excitement. Nick could instantly smell her arousal intensify. He held her down with one strong paw and began nibbling playfully at her neck. He could feel her jagged breathing under his paw and as he nibbled he reached his other paw down between her legs. He didn't wait for permission but instead plunged one finger deep into her slick female parts. Judy let out a loud gasp and clutched at Nick's shoulders. Her back arched despite Nick holding her down. He gently wiggled his finger inside her being careful not to actually scratch her as she writhed in pleasure. Nick stopped nibbling at her and looked into her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth was agape in pleasure. He continued wriggling his finger and rubbing her groin as he watched her face scrunch and relax as she gave a passionate moan.

She must have sensed his stare because she slowly opened her eyes and when she caught him staring she reached up behind his head and pulled him in for a rough kiss. The kiss didn't last long however as she breathlessly reminded him of their bet. He smiled and dutifully he repositioned himself between her legs. He began giving her small, teasing licks.

"Nick!" She complained as her body tensed up like a stretched rubber band. Nick considered dragging out his torture but relented and he plunged his long vulpine tongue deep into her vagina. The taste was strange but not unpleasant. She yelled out in relief and surprise and her back arched again with the intensity of the pleasure. He began wiggling his tongue in random pattern, sometimes slowly licking in one direction or another, other times he would give it a flick and still other times he would wiggle it wildly with no thought like an angry octopus. Nick rested the top of his maw on her pelvis and when she felt the pressure of his fangs in her flesh she looked down. His eyes were half closed in concentration but aside from that he looked like he really was eating her which she decided was pretty hot, not that she could ever admit it.

Her one lucid thought quickly fled as Nick gave her short tail a gentle tug. His paws massaged her glutes as he pulled out his tongue. He clamped his jaws to loosen them up a few time before went back to fingering her, only this time he also licked her clitoris. He wasn't even sure if she had one of those before he dove in after it, being just as ignorant to her body as she was to his but his guess paid off because he soon felt her body give his finger a few gentle squeezes and Judy was calling out in pleasure. She gave him permission to stop as she was panting harder than he had ever seen her at the gym or on a run. He leaned back and stared at her exhausted, naked form and chuckled.

Judy opened one eye and glared up at him, "What?"

He continued to laugh before he replied, "You, my dear, have a kink."

"What are you talking about?" She was finally getting her breath back.

He smiled warmly at her. "You still think I'm going to hurt you," he pointed out with a smug tone.

Judy grew concerned, "Nick, no I-"

He cut her off, "No, no, it's ok. You _know_ I won't hurt you, but part of you, deep down, is still scared and it excites the rest of you because scary is exciting."

She hated that he could read her so well but it made sense. She had never been so aroused before. He definitely knew how to thrill her.

"Oh this gives me so many ideas," Nick smiled and wrung his hands together like a cartoon villain until Judy kicked him off the couch. He landed with a hard thump and quickly reached up and pulled the bunny down on top of him. There they laid and snuggled until the little bunny fell asleep. Nick was still awake and full of energy though so he lifted the little bunny onto the couch and went to take his shower.


	9. Graduation (explicit)

**Edit: Author's note**

 **I realized I forgot to add this but I just wanted to apologize for the lack of update. I had a birthday party to prep for on the 23rd and I finished hand sewing a dress for Halloween on Friday, which was my first time sewing a garment of any kind! Good news is, aside from some editing, I'm finished with chapters 10-19 so expect an update everyday for the next 10ish days. Oh, also I make a quick one shot called maturity in Zistopia so please check that out.**

* * *

"Wow Nick, you look fantastic!"

Nick admired his reflection in the mirror as he adjusted his tie. He flicked open a pair of shiny new aviator shades and set them on his face. He was more accustomed to his baggy slacks and Pawaiian shirts but had to admit, with the clean pressed lines and, the shiny buttons and buckles, he made the police dress uniform look good.

Judy rolled her eyes at his cheesy shades as she ruffled through her note cards. Today was a big day for both the fox and bunny. It was graduation day at the ZPD academy and Nick would be graduating with full honors. Judy, due to her amazing and newsworthy first year as an officer, was asked to give a speech at the commencement ceremony. She had practiced her speech over and over in front of the mirror so many times Nick was confident that he could have delivered the it himself.

Once they were satisfied with their own individual preparedness they left together to travel to the academy. The weather was perfect for the outdoor ceremony and the traffic to the academy was light and uneventful. Ruby and Paul were already at the school when Nick and Judy arrived.

"Oh Pauly, look at my boy! Isn't he so handsome!" Ruby greeted Nick with a great big hug.

"The uniform looks good on you, officer," Paul gave Nick a firm handshake. Nick was surprised by Paul's warm greeting. Maybe he really was nicer when he wasn't hungry, or maybe Nick was just in such a good mood that not even being near Paul could bring him down.

"Oh and if it isn't little Judy!" Ruby spied Judy and scooped her up in a big hug as well. "You look very sharp too darling, although to be honest, I think I liked the dress better."

Although Judy didn't appreciate being called little, she was happy to see Nick's mother again. The vixen had a genuine warmth that Judy appreciated, even if her taste in mates was questionable.

Nick lead his mother to the chairs reserved for guests before he took his place with the other graduates. Judy left to speak to the ceremony coordinator before taking her place on the stage.

Judy delivered her speech beautifully and when the time came, she and the polar bear drill instructor, Miranda Frost, alternated delivering the recent graduates their new badges, depending on the size of the new officer. Judy and Nick both beamed with pride as she fashioned his new badge to his uniform.

After the ceremony the recent graduates milled about making small talk with each other and their families.

"Hey did you hear about Bellwether?" Judy asked Nick in an attempt to make small talk with the people around them. "She finally got her sentencing."

"Seriously? It's been what, 10 months since we caught them?" Nick asked with a disgusted look.

"Well sometimes these thing just take that long. Her crimes were unique and juries had to decide exactly what she was guilty of before even getting to the sentencing phase," Judy explained with a shrug.

"I remember, there was this one case that was all over the news. A lion murdered his wife and it felt like that was all people talked about for a year," Paul agreed.

"I remember that," Ruby continued, "it wasn't quite a year but it was quite long. That's not even including a sentencing phase because the lion ended up being innocent!"

"Eh, what am I getting myself into going into law?" Nick shook his head.

"You're not in 'law,' you're in 'law enforcement.'. We take the threats off the street. It's up to lawyers and judges to determine how long they stay off the street." Judy said is a somber tone. "Anyways I wanted to tell you, and this is insider info from Bogo, that she is staying on a local jail for another year before heading upstate to a medium security female prey location."

"Just medium security? She tried to kill you and recklessly endangered countless other lives!" Nick was stunned.

"Yes, but no one actually died. I'm still here." Judy shrugged again.

"Wait, someone tried to kill you?" Ruby asked in amazement.

Judy gasped, "Did Nick not tell you this story? Oh, he was amazing! Definitely our finest hour!". Judy began to regale the story of finding the drug lab in the subway car and then crashing it into the natural history museum. Ruby covered her muzzle in disbelief at the danger Nick put himself through and laughed when Judy gave him full credit for the idea to switch the mind altering drug for blueberries just before they got caught. Nick played the whole thing off but he couldn't completely hide his embarrassed smile or the pride in his eyes. Even animals around them who were having their own conversations stopped to eavesdrop on the tale.

The four animals talked for quite sometime about all sorts of little things after Judy's story before Ruby and Paul decided it was time to head home. Nick and Judy agreed and they made their way back to Nick's apartment.

When they arrived Nick flopped right onto his new-used bed emotionally exhausted. The bed was made from aluminum pipes, but some were bent and damaged. Judy was no fan of the bed but Nick insisted that it went with all the other wonky pipes hanging from his ceiling. Judy sat on the bed next to him just as tired.

"Today was nice," Judy stated as she rubbed Nick's back.

Nick grinned before he turned himself over. As he did so, he grabbed Judy's wrist and pulled her across his body.

"I know how to make it better," he said with a playful grin.

He reached one hand up behind her head and gave her a tender kiss. And then another. And another. On the third kiss both animals opened their mouths slightly giving each other permission and on the fourth kiss their tongues to met. Nick's tongue entered Judy's mouth and she embraced him with her own. Nick ran one hand down Judy's side while the other hand remained on the back of her head. Judy on the other hand held herself up with one paw on Nick's chest while the other caressed his face.

Nick reached back behind Judy's hips and gave her rump a good hard grasp with one hand then again with both hands. Judy broke the kiss and sat up on top of him. She looked down at Nick with lust in her eyes.

"You are a very naughty fox and you're just lucky I don't have my handcuffs with me," Judy scolded playfully.

"Ooh, can you get them?" Nick joked with a mischievous grin. Judy just rolled her eyes.

"I meant trying to get frisky in your dress uniform. You need to take care of it. So why don't you take it off?" she suggested. Nick wasn't sure if she was actually scolding him or she just wanted him naked. Nick began unbuttoning his shirt and Judy began wiggling her hips while she watched. He slipped the shirt off along with his undershirt and laid back. Judy was slowly grindings against Nick when she ordered him to take off her shirt. Nick obeyed unbuttoning each button slowly.

Once her shirt was off she leaned forward and kissed Nick's jaw before she whispered in his ear, "I want to try going all the way."

Nick's mind froze for a second, "Really Judy? I thought you were still freaking out?"

"I was, I still am, but I've seen it, you, enough times that I think I'm ready. No guarantees how it'll end though, ok?" Judy wrung her hands as she spoke.

"Sure. Of course, hon, but, uh, the thing is, I didn't think this was coming so soon so I don't have any, you know, protection." Nick scrunched down in embarrassment.

Maybe he has the bad habit of holding fellow foxes to the same low standards that were unjustly placed on him or maybe he never liked any of his previous girlfriends enough to be stuck with them forever through a kid. Maybe he didn't want to be a shitty dad like his father was or maybe he was just being sensible but whatever the reason, Nick always upheld a strict policy of using protection, at least for full intercourse.

"I don't think we really need it do we? I mean we are both clean and, well, I did some research and it isn't actually possible for a fox and a bunny to have babies so…?" Judy rolled her arms and shrugged her shoulders as she explained.

A pang of sadness struck Nick at this news followed by surprise at the sadness. Did he want to father children with Judy? He put this thought in the back of his head to explore later. Now there were more immediate concerns.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Well I admit that when I looked it up I found more anti-interspecies marriage sites than scientific sites, but yes, there has never been a fox-bunny hybrid in recorded history," Judy explained.

Nick pondered the situation. They both trusted each other not to cheat and there was no risk of an unwanted pregnancy so...

"Ok," he said suddenly, "let's do this!". He flipped Judy onto her back and he quickly took off both their pants. He then scooped the bunny up in a big hug and peppered her with kisses before flopping backwards onto the pillow with Judy clutched tightly to his chest.

"Ugh, you really know how get me in the mood," Judy said sarcastically.

"Oh, I know how to turn you on!" Nick growled as he spread his claws across the small of her back and slowly dragged them up her spine. Judy shuddered and Nick reached behind Judy's head and grasped her ears firmly. He pulled her head back as he thrust his hips up towards her pelvis. He didn't enter her but she could feel his erection slide all the way across her lower lips. He felt the wetness and knew his trick worked.

"Now, I could flip you over and just have my way with you," Nick said is a low sensual growl, "but I want you to be comfortable and I don't want to accidentally hurt you. So, you are in control now to go as fast or slow as you want. Ok?"

Nick let go of Judy's ears and placed his paws behind his own head and he gave her a sweet smile. She took control of her breathing which had become more intense from Nick's rough play. She leaned down and gave Nick a grateful kiss and she wiggled her hips and guided him into her.

Nick was the one to let out a gasp this time as the little bunny slid halfway down his body. She pulled back up and then slid down slightly further without ever taking all of him in. She was tight too, at least compared to a vixen, but that wasn't much of a surprise. If Judy were a vixen he would have thrust himself into her to end the teasing but as she wasn't, and since Nick didn't know how much she could take, he had to use every speck of his willpower to keep himself still. Instead he reached back to grab at the aluminum head board and he gritted his teeth.

Judy, who had been loving the sensation of the fox filling her insides so completely, noticed when he reached back. His face looked like he was in pain and she grew concerned.

"Nick, are you ok?" Judy asked. This whole time she had been concerned with the possibility that she would get hurt but she never even considered the possibility of the reverse happening.

"Oh God, Judy! Don't stop!" Nick called to her louder than what was really necessary.

Judy chuckled with relief and began gyrating her hips again. Only, this time she was watching his reaction and trying to decide how to feel about his tortured expression.

She pulled herself up and watched Nick's face as he gave a shuddered sigh and dug his head further back into his pillow. As she slowly lowered herself back down, she could see his muscles twitch and jaw tighten. She repeated the action and his response grew even more intense. His moans turned from soft sighs to low growls and he had to grip the headboard to keep himself under control.

"I can't do this any more! I'm sorry Judy!" Nick called out after some time. He knew it was wrong but he felt like he was going to burst and he simply couldn't control himself anymore. He quickly grabbed Judy by the hips and thrust himself, knot and all, into her.

She could feel as he burst through to her uterus and he filled her up with his knot. She let out a loud gasp and felt her body convulse. Nick slammed his hips into her again and Judy let out a short scream, the sensation came as both pain and pleasure. He thrust himself into her one last time and then came the telltale twitch as he emptied himself into her womb.

Nick gasped for breath, his body still twitching from his orgasm and looked at Judy. Her body was arched back but she didn't move. It was like she was frozen. Was she in pain? She finally took a gasping lung full of air before relaxing her body.

"Oh my god Judy. I am so sorry. I knew I shouldn't have done that! Are you ok? Are you mad? Judy?" Nick stammered nervously.

Judy continued to breathe heavily without saying a word. After an agonizing moment she finally looked into his eyes. There was something primal and lustful in them. She let out a sigh and blinked and she was back to her bright eyed self.

She glared down at Nick, "Well now you've done it Nicholas!"

Nick shrunk back, expecting an earful and knowing he fully deserved it. He promised himself that he wouldn't hurt her and now he'd broken that promise.

"How am I ever going to go back to dating rabbits after this?" She yelled, though not nearly as angrily as Nick expected. More exasperated than angry really. "I hope you plan on sticking with me for a long time because, let's face it, that was amazing and I'm never going to get sex like that from another bunny!"

Nick stared at her in disbelief before he laughed, his guilt melting away. Judy smiled down at him. She could feel him laughing inside her.

Nick gently tossed Judy to the side, still inside her. He wrapped his arms, legs and even his tail around her in a big snuggle. _How did I get so lucky?_ He thought to himself and the two animals settled in for a well earned nap.


	10. Harvest Festival pt 1

"Eeee! I'm so excited you're coming with me! I can't wait to introduce you to my parents." Judy bounced on her toes clutching her duffle bag close to her.

"I can't believe you haven't told them about me yet," Nick replied grumpily.

Judy held her phone to her face, "Hey Dad, remember how you tried to give me all that anti- _fox_ stuff when I first left for the city, you know the _fox spray_ , the _fox mace_ , oh and that giant _FOX TASER_? Well you'll never guess who my new boyfriend is!"

Nick glared at Judy clearly unamused by her antics. "Ok, I get it, your dad hates foxes. Yes, spending the weekend with him and your million brothers and sisters sound great."

"Oh sweetie, it's not like that, he doesn't hate foxes, he's just sorta scared of them. Of you? That's not what I mean." Judy sighed in exasperation, "I just want them to get to know you before I tell them, so that when I do tell them they will know the sweet amazing guy behind those sharp teeth and pointy ears."

"My ears aren't that pointy, and you love my sharp teeth," Nick leaned in closer so only she could hear, "especially when I'm grazing them across your skin."

Judy shuddered. "I know this is tough for you, but you won't even have to deal with my family that much. We'll be spending most of our time at the fair and it will be great. We'll ride rides and play games and I can show you around my town. It'll be fun, I promise."

Nick's ears perked up, "You promise? As in, you want to place a wager on it?"

Judy rolled her eyes, "Fine, what do you want? The usual?"

"Times three." Nick grinned.

"Times?" Judy gasped.

"Hey I'm giving up my whole weekend and if I have to suffer for my beloved I should receive my proper thanks," nick explained innocently.

"Rotten fox," Judy muttered, "fine."

Nick smiled, "You know you love me."

"Do I know that?" Judy asked moodily. Just then the train pulled in and Judy boarded without another word.

"H-hey Carrots!" Nick cried as he ran after her. He caught her trying to place her bag on an overhead shelf so he scooped her up and proceeded to tickle her mercilessly, "Do you know that? Do you?"

"Y-yes, yes I do!" she giggled out before he put her down. She turned and gave him a soft punch in the arm followed by a sweet kiss.

Judy's ears perked up as she thought she heard a small cough and she was suddenly very aware of the eyes of the other passengers on her. She forgot for a moment that even in places like Zootopia, interspecies relationships were still considered taboo. How was she going to explain her relationship to her parents, who still thought that most predators were out to eat prey, when even the more liberal citizens in the big city couldn't handle their relationship.

Nick picked up oh the change in his lover's mood. He looked around and caught a few disapproving glares. This was nothing new for him. Animals always looked down on foxes, but he hated the effect it had on Judy. He grabbed her paws and gave them a supportive squeeze. She looked up at him with a smile and he kissed the top of her head as they sat on the bench together. They rode all the way to bunny burrows just like that, hand in hand.

When they reached the burrows they were greeted only by a handful of Judy's siblings. Apparently the rest of the family was busy preparing for the fair. Judy introduced the seven siblings that stood around the train platform to Nick, the youngest bunny asked if she could see Nick's teeth. Nick thought this was a strange request but with Judy's consent he squatted down and gave his biggest, toothiest grin which resulted in the tiny squeal from the little bunny as it hopped off to the safety of its older sibling's legs.

"You'll have to excuse Lizzie, she recently developed an obsession with all kinds of canines" said one of the older bunnies.

"Ah," Nick nodded. He squatted down next to the little bunny, "My teeth are pretty sharp, but if you want to see really sharp, you need a smaller feline. I hear newborn cats have claws like razor blades.

Judy was impressed as the little bunny giggled behind the safety of the bigger bunny's legs before the group headed to the truck. The oldest sibling, a dark colored buck named Max, drove everyone to the house while another rabbit, Jill, caught Judy up on the latest gossip. They pulled up to a rather small home and everyone hopped out.

"Hey Carrots, i thought you said you had, like, 300 brothers and sisters." Nick glared at the unassuming round mass of a building.

"Well most of my siblings, like me, have moved out to start their own lives. As for the other 132, well, you'll see." Judy said with a smile.

Nick had to duck to get through the door and what he found looked like utter chaos. Bunnies were running and shoving and yelling back and forth to each other. Every bunny froze when they noticed Nick and he suddenly felt two hundred eyes and ears fearfully trained on him.

"This is Nick!" Judy shouted, "He's with me. He's my friend from the city."

After a brief pause all the bunnies returned to their previously scheduled chaos as if nothing happened.

Nick let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "The fuck is this place?"

"Language!" Judy scolded, "Come on, I'll show you my room, provided someone hasn't stolen it." Judy then lead Nick down a tunnel that twisted and turned with what seemed like hundreds of offshoots before she lead him behind a curtain with a "Ta-Da!"

"See when you need more space in a burrow, like if you want your room, you just have to dig it out yourself!" Judy explained proudly.

"And you dug this?" Nick looked at her incredulously. The small hole-room was decorated with mirrors sitting behind old window frames, posters and stuffed animals. In the corner was a small pit that had been built up and filled with a simple mattress and blankets.

Nick smiled at her before plopping into the pit bed, " Swanky bed, don't worry though, no judging from me. You know that really big dresser I have? Before I got my couch I slept in the bottom drawer of that."

"What? How would you even?" Judy shook her head, "It doesn't matter, we should go back up if we want to eat before it gets dark."

"Judy, it's only 4."

"Yeah?"

Nick followed judy up the twisting tunnel and mentally noted not to try and come or go without her because he would definitely get lost and die down here.

Back on the surface Nick saw that the bunnies were lined up like a prison cafeteria waiting to get their food. At the far end of the line Judy spied her parents chatting. She grabbed Nick by the paw and dragged him to where they stood.

"Mom! Dad!" She called

"Judy!" They both called back

"Hey kiddo, sorry we couldn't meet you at the train. Tons of work, you know. You should see the acorn squash we are bringing to the fair tomorrow." Judy's father, Stu, apologized.

"That's ok, I get it. I just wanted to introduce you to Nick. He's the fox I told you guys all about." Judy said signalling to Nick.

Nick smiled and shook the two bunnies' hands.

"Oh so you're the one that helped our Judy when those predators went savage. We can't thank you enough for helping keep our dear Judy safe. I still don't understand why she feels the need to keep putting herself in danger so much," Judy's mother, Bonnie, said.

Nick nodded, "Well maybe I can put your mind at ease. I've recently been instated as her partner at ZPD so you'll know I always have her back, both in uniform and out of it."

Stu and Bonnie gave each other a relieved look. "Well that is a relief that she'll have a bigger animal she trusts to look it for her." Bonnie said before Judy pulled Nick to the end of the meal line.

Nick felt good about meeting Judy's parents till he heard Stu mutter, "I just wish he weren't a fox. Jude couldn't be partnered with an elephant or a rhino?" Nick was disappointed but he couldn't say he was surprised.

Nick and Judy got their meal and they sat down to eat. He was surprised at how many different veggie casseroles existed. They sat near the two rabbits that Nick met at the train station. He talked to the rabbit named Max and he instantly liked the cynical bunny which cheered him up. Nick was surprised that the whole meal experience lasted until 7 o'clock and all the bunnies were busy either cleaning up from dinner or getting the littlest bunnies ready for bed.

During this time Nick was done with the busy, noisy crowd and had to excuse himself to get some air. Judy came with him and they wandered through some fields before stumbling onto the fairground. The fair was eerie without its usual hustle and bustle. A few vendors were still working though, setting up their booths and organizing their wares. Nick could smell fry vats and their oil, sugary treats and all kinds of fruit. As they wandered they came across a pink painted booth with the words "Gideon Grey's Pies". Judy jumped for joy when she saw a chubby fox milling about in the booth.

"Hey Gideon!" Judy called.

The bigger fox turned and smiled, "Well hey there Judy! How ya been doin'?"

"Oh I'm great! Gideon, this is Nick, and Nick, this is Gideon.". The two foxes shook hands. "Gideon helped me realize that the night howlers were actually flowers."

"Jeez carrots, can you do any part of your job without a fox?" Nick teased.

"Haha, Nick is my partner at the ZPD," Judy explained to Gideon.

Gideon nodded, "Well ain't that somethin'. I didn't know there were fox cops."

"There certainly aren't many of us," Nick explained.

"Well, you're probably busy so we will let you be. Good luck with your sales tomorrow," Judy waved to Gideon and the two animals walked back for home.

"So what was his deal?" Nick asked after they were out of earshot. Judy gave him a confused look so he clarified, "Do you really have a fox fetish? Was he your first crush or something?"

"Nick! Are you jealous? I never had a crush on Gideon! Quite the opposite, he used to be this nasty bully. He even gave me a nasty scratch across my cheek when I was nine," Judy explained.

"A nasty scratch? You don't say," Judy could see wheels turning in Nick's head.

"Oh he's alright now. He even apologized for the whole incident."

Nick nodded, still thinking of the other fox as Judy changed the subject and talked about her childhood all the way back home.

 **Author's Note: Judy's siblings Max and Jill are a bit of homage to Spintherella on DeviantArt. She has this amazing fan comic going called Inter-Schminter and if you haven't seen it before I HIGHLY recommend you check it out. It is so good.**


	11. Harvest Festival pt 2

The next day, Judy helped get the little bunnies around and, now that they were accustomed to him, they swarmed Nick. They grabbed his tail, pulled at his ears and asked to see his teeth. This turned into quite the game as Nick would snarl and snap his jaws, scaring the little bunnies, only to have them come running back to him. He laughed at every bunny tackle which put the older bunnies at ease as they were almost as frightened as the little ones at the sight of the sharp white fangs.

After they arrived at the fair, Nick and Judy were able to escape the giant Hopps clan to enjoy the fair. With the lights blinking, the music playing and animals swarming the grounds, the fair was far from the creepy scene Nick experienced the previous night.

Nick and Judy rode all the rides at least once, both preferring the faster twisting rides. They ate ice cream, funnel cakes and candied apples till their bellies were sore, then they moved to the midway. Judy tried her luck at the rubber duckie pool and Nick was able to win a giant stuffed bunny at the sharp shooter booth. Nick had never shot a gun before he entered the academy but once he did he found he was quite proficient at it. He had the keen eyes and mental control necessary for an instructor to recommend him for a sniper's course. He did well and enjoyed the satisfaction of hitting a difficult target. He presented the bunny to Judy who squeezed it affectionately.

The two animals were having such a great time that they forgot about trying to keep their relationship low key. They were consistently touching each other's shoulders, waists and paws as they traveled across the fairgrounds.

Evening fell and Judy dragged Nick back onto the ferris wheel for the fifth time, only now things were getting dark and all the lights were shining brightly. Nick and Judy stared out over the grounds, and Judy placed her head on Nick's shoulder. In response he placed one paw across her shoulder.

"So did I win the bet?" Judy asked flirtatiously.

"I guess this wasn't so bad," Nick admitted. He looked down into her large amethyst eyes and she tilted her head up and gave him a small kiss. The ferris wheel spun around and Judy kissed Nick again with more passion before setting her head back on Nick's shoulder. She loved how just touching him made her chest tighten with emotion. The ride ended and Judy and Nick exited hand in hand.

"JUDITH LAVERNE HOPPS!" Judy instantly recognized the voice shouting her name as her father's. She cringed as she saw him standing at the base of the ferris wheel platform. He must have seen her kissing Nick.

Stu was thumping one foot hard against the ground as Judy and Nick came down the ramp and in stood front of her father. He glared first at Judy, then at Nick, then back to Judy.

"Well do one of you want to explain what I think I saw? Because what I think I saw was my daughter kissing a fox and I know my little girl wouldn't do something to foolish!" Stu yelled.

Nick opened his mouth to tell a convincing lie but Judy cut him off.

"Daddy, I know this might be difficult to understand, but Nick and I have a a very deep and emotional relationship. Nick is my boyfriend and I love him. I know I should have told you but I knew how you would react. I wanted you to meet him first and see what a great guy he is." Judy blurted out. "I mean he's saved my life and career multiple times!"

"So you've intentionally kept this information from me? You knew it was wrong but you did it anyways. Judy how could you! You know how dangerous foxes are!" Stu yelled pointing to Nick for emphasis.

"Nick is not dangerous!"

"Bullshit! You were attacked by a fox once before what's to stop it from happening again."

"You can't just lump all foxes into one group and call them the same! I am 26 years old, I am an adult now and I can take care of myself and make my own decisions." Judy was yelling back at her father with eyes full of tears.

"You are still my daughter and it is still my job to look after you! Foxes are shifty, conniving sneaky predators and I will not have one putting his paws all over my daughter!"

"Well you're too late there!" Judy yelled. Her paws shot over her mouth as she realized what she just revealed before she turned and stormed off.

Stu huffed in disgust before he turned to Nick. Rather than chase after Judy, the fox just stood in place with his hands buried in his pockets. He looked in the direction Judy fled with a disinterested look on his face.

"Well? What are you still doing here?" Stu snapped.

"Oh, should I have gone after her? I suppose that is something a considerate boyfriend would do, but I am just a conniving fox," Nick looked down at Stu through his classic hooded eyes. "No, Judy is strong and she will survive this. She is strong and smart and brave and kind. She is the most amazing person I have ever met and she makes me want to prove that I am more than a sneaky, untrustworthy fox. I love Judy and I just want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt her. Quite the opposite, I would put her safety and personal interest above my own, even if that means trying to help patch up her relationship with someone who hates me rather than running off to collect sad bunny snuggles, which would certainly be easier to do."

Stu was speechless and just stood staring, amazed at the audacity of the tall fox. Nick gave the tan rabbit a hard stare before he nodded and strolled off in the direction Judy had gone. He hoped what he said might sink in with the older rabbit but he didn't have the time to think about that now. He had to hunt down his sad bunny.

Nick tried calling Judy but he received no answer. Nick sighed because he realized that he only had one option to find her. He knew it was far from dignified and would probably gain him some weird looks but Judy had been out of his sight for too long he didn't have much choice if he wanted to find her.

He made sure he was out of Stu's vision before he knelt down and started sniffing around the ground. The smell of rabbit was everywhere but he was confident that he could pick out Judy's particular scent from the others. Once he thought he had it he started to follow the scent through the midway. Sure enough, a full grown fox slinking along the ground, did get him some suspicious glances but they didn't distract him from his mission. He followed the trail out of the fair and through a field to a large tree. He could hear the sniffling before he reached the tree.

"Hey carrots," Nick called gently as he approached the tree. Judy quickly rubbed her eyes as he sat down beside her. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"He can just be so closed minded," Judy sniffled.

Nick kissed her head. "Try not to be so hard on him. If my daughter were dating a lynx or a wolf, I would probably be concerned too."

Judy looked up into his face, "How can you defend him after those awful things he said about you?"

"He didn't say those things about _me_ , he doesn't know me. He was speaking out of fear and ignorance. Besides, I've heard it all before and worse. He is just worried about his little girl." Nick shrugged.

"So you're not mad then?"

"Of course not fluff. They can't see that they get to you if they don't actually get to you, ya know?" Nick gave Judy another kiss on her head. "Besides, we won't be able to win him over without being the better mammal."

"How did you get to be so amazing?" Judy sighed.

The next morning Nick and Judy prepared to leave for the city. Waiting outside Judy's room was Jill looking quite anxious.

"Judy, is it true that you and the fox?" Jill asked eyeing Nick nervously.

"You know, I'm getting awfully sick of people calling him 'the fox.'. He has a name, it's Nick!" Judy scolded her younger sister.

"Ok, ok! So is it true that you and Nick are a thing?" Jill wrung her her paws together, "I only ask because people are talking and I just want to know for sure."

Judy sighed, "Yes, Nick and I are a 'thing.' Happy?"

Jill's eyes lit up, "Oh, in that case, have you two, you know?".

Nick rolled his eyes. Judy's vision went red and she puffed up her fur. "That is none of your's or anyone else's business other than Nick and I."

Jill took the hint and hopped out of the room calling, "That's a yes! I'm texting you later for all the details!"

Judy grabbed her bag and slung it angrily over her shoulder before she and Nick walked towards the door. Upstairs Stu was waiting for the duo. He stood up as they approached

"Judy, I'm sorry if I was out of line yesterday. You are an adult and I need to trust you to make good decisions. This is your life to live, not mine to control."

Judy smiled and gave her father a big hug. "I'm sorry we fought too. I love you, dad."

"I love you too." He ended the hug and then turned to Nick. Stu held out his hand and Nick took it. "Watch out for my little girl." Nick just nodded and then they both left for home.


	12. Cops (Explicit)

Judy's heart was pounding wildly as her feet lightly bounded off the pavement. The zebra she was chasing managed to stay just a few feet in front of her no matter what she did.

"Stop running! You are under arrest!" She called, her lungs filling with the cool fall air.

The zebra ignored her and kept running. Judy was nervous. She knew zebras were good at running very fast for long distances, whereas Judy was more of a sprinter. She couldn't keep up these speeds for long. She needed to tap out but her partner was nowhere to be found.

Judy lept against a wall helping her to make a clean turn through the twisting allies. The trick only gained her a few inches as she kept after the zebra.

She saw light up ahead where the ally opened back onto the street. This was the last place she wanted to go. She was afraid of involving other animals in her chase and possibly hurting a bystander.

Suddenly she heard a siren and she saw a police cruiser pull into the entrance of the ally. Out of the cruiser popped a small fox but he had his gun at the ready and pointed at the zebra between the open door and the car.

"Stop right there dirtbag!" Officer Wilde called out. The zebra was cornered. With a gun trained on him, there was no way he would be able to leap over the car without getting shot, so he slowed down and caught himself on the cruiser's bumper before he dropped his bag of cash and put his hooves behind his head.

"Really Nick? Dirtbag? Who says that? And where were you?" Judy asked between breaths. She grabbed the zebra by the wrists and started to give him his rights as she handcuffed the large mammal.

"Oh come on! Don't tell me you never wanted to say that!" Nick threw his hands out defensively. "And as for where I was? I know these allies like the back of my hand. I knew where you would chase this big guy out and so I cut him off. Sly fox, quick rabbit." Nick pointed first to himself and then to Judy before getting back into the cruiser.

Judy glared at the fox. She heard the words that came out of his mouth but felt like he meant to end his sentence in a slightly different way. Nick moved the car so as to unblock the ally and Judy helped the zebra into the back of the car before grabbing the bag of money off the ground. She hopped into the passenger seat and Nick was already on the radio calling in their catch. It was a quick trip back to the precinct where Nick and Judy began the laborious task of processing the criminal zebra. Judy was quiet the whole time and Nick couldn't help but feel like she was throwing of some negative vibes that may or may not have been his fault.

Nick wondered why she seemed so mad. They were able to catch the bad guy, shouldn't that make her happy? Not only this time, but their success rate ever since he and Judy teamed up was unusually high. The other officers had begrudgingly entitled them "The Dream Team." It was terribly unoriginal but Nick was proud of the title nonetheless.

Nick finished filling his report before the bunny, he was usually a lot less thorough than Judy but this time he kept his report intentionally short. His bunny was mad and knew if he wanted to figure out why, he would need supplies and time to get them.

Nick closed down his computer and headed to the breakroom. He came back a few minutes later and with two foam cups, one with light milky coffee and the other sweetened black, and a snack cake wrapped in cellophane from the vending machine. He set the snack cake and the pale coffee down on his partner's desk.

Judy could smell the coffee and Hazelnut creamer wafting towards her. She stopped typing and looked down at the cup and the cellophane wrapper sporting a happy looking cartoon bunny hugging a carrot. She then looked at her partner who was sitting on her desk clutching his own cup and staring down at her.

"Hey fluff, what's going on with you today? Are you ok?" Nick asked cautiously.

"Well to start with, I'm not happy that you abandoned me out there." Judy glared at him. How could he ask what was wrong with her? What was wrong with him?

"I didn't abandon you!" Nick chuckled defensively, "I was cutting the runner off!"

"Well how was I supposed to know that? You just disappeared!" she shot back

"What should I have done? Should I have tipped off the perp and yelled 'hey Judy, I'm going to head you off at the end of the ally.' The only reason he was running is because he thought he was getting away. If I took that idea from him, who knows what would have happened?" Nick threw his paws in the air.

"You were supposed to stick with me! You broke protocol! What if he went on the attack?" Judy's voice was raising louder.

"That's why I kept the plan a secret. Plus what if he attacked? I've watched you beat up a bear, I think you can handle a zebra." Nick's jaw tightened. She had no business yelling at him.

"That's not the point. There are rules and as a cop and you need to follow them, not just run off to do whatever you feel like," Judy slammed her tiny paws on the desk as she stood up and stormed out.

Nick was left confused, alone and angry. Sure, Judy was more by the books, but she never minded his looser work style before. Nick had the sudden feeling that the other animals were watching him. He glanced up and confirmed his suspicions, both cops and civilians were glancing over their shoulders at the fox. Nick cleared his throat softly before he left to find his partner.

It didn't take him long to track her down. She looked like she was having a conversation with a potted plant next to a filing closet. When he got closer he realized she had her paws on her temples trying to regain her composure.

Nick approached gently and placed one paw on her shoulder. He leaned down and planted a sweet kiss on the top of her head.

"Judy, look I-" Nick began to apologize until the bunny turned to him with a hateful glare in her eyes. She grabbed him by the paw and spun him around into the closet. She latched the door behind them.

"Nicholas! I told you, we can't show any affection at work. If people realize we are a thing they will split us up!" Judy whispered harshly.

"I-" Nick began to argue back but he was instantly cut off as Judy grabbed ahold of his tie and yanked him down into a hard kiss. She reached one hand behind Nick's head before she opened her mouth and invaded his with her tongue.

"The hell fluff?" Nick finally whispered when Judy stopped for air. She went to kiss him again but he stopped her. "Hold on. Not here."

Nick opened the door cautiously and peeked to make sure nobody would see them come out of the closet, he then lead her by the paw around the hall and down some steps. They passed by the armory in the basement and then past record keeping. Ceiling lights were dull and flickering down in this section of the precinct. Nick finally lead her to a unisex bathroom at the end of the hall. Judy had never been here before but Nick had naturally scoped out the whole building prior to his first day. He could tell this bathroom was probably only used by the record keeper and would be a safe place for Nick and Judy to talk.

"Alright, seriously this time, what is going on with you? You have been acting strange all day. You're up one minute, down the next. You're yelling at me and then you're forcing your tongue down my throat? Are you in heat? Is that a thing rabbits still do? Because if-if," Nick yelled in a controlled whisper but he was distracted as Judy had pulled him down and was kissing his neck and trying to undo his pants.

Nick let out an exasperated sigh. He grumbled as he picked up the horny bunny and set her on the edge of the toilet seat. The seat was hip high on Nick, perfect for an elephant to relieve themselves but today it was also the perfect height for Nick's purposes.

He continued grumbling as he whipped off Judy's pants and unfastened his own.

"I can't believe we're doing this. I'm not going easy on you." Nick growled indignantly.

"I don't want you to," Judy's face was flush as she braced herself on the toilet.

Nick leaned himself into her and began rocking his hips back and forth. She was dripping with fluid as he entered into her completely and easily. She grasped him around the shoulders and Judy instantly took to moaning and Nick had to cover her mouth to keep from being heard. She began kissing his hand and somehow worked his thumb into her mouth. She began pleasuring the thumb like she was giving it a blow job and though it was a bit silly, Nick admitted it was really hot.

Nick thrust himself roughly into her over and over again in equal parts passion and aggression. He was still mad at Judy and her strange behavior and he took it out on her small body.

Nick tried to finish as quickly as he could, hoping that if he finished then she too would be satisfied. Her body stiffened suddenly which Nick had come to learn was a tell that she was orgasming. He gave a silent thanks and he was soon spilling himself inside her. She sat there panting for a moment with her face buried in his shoulder.

"Oh God. Oh I am such a dumb bunny," Judy buried her face in her paws after she had cought her breath.

Nick glared at her but softened with a sigh as he reached for some toilet paper to clean up.

"Are you ok now?" he asked. He was no longer angry, more concerned and annoyed.

Judy shook her head, still hiding behind her paws.

"Are you going to yell at me more?"

Again she shook her head

"Are you going to try to rape me again?"

She shook her head again, but this time added an embarrassed groan.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Judy slid her hands over her head and ears, giving them a small pull. Her eyes never met Nick's as she sighed, "Can I say no?"

"No you cannot," Nick answered irritably.

Judy let out another sigh as she searched for the right words. "I don't know what is going on with me right now. It's not heat, rabbits don't do that. Maybe I'm coming down with something? I don't know. I do know that I was a jerk to you and I was so far out of line it wasn't funny. I'm so sorry."

Nick could see tears well up in her eyes and that she was fighting to hold them back. He pulled her in for a hug. "You bunnies. Well, you at least seem like your old self. How do you feel?" Nick asked.

"Better," she replied, "embarrassed and ashamed but more clear headed."

"You should be ashamed of yourself, naughty bunny," Nick was joking but the comment still made Judy cringe. "Let's get cleaned up and get out of here."

Judy did as she was told and they returned back to their desks. However before they could get there they were interrupted by a booming voice.

"Hopps! Wilde! My office! Now!" Chief Bogo yelled from across the room full of office desks.

Nick and Judy gave each other nervous glances before they filed into the office with Bogo closing the door behind them.

"Where have you two been?" the Chief snapped at the pair.

Nick's ears laid back nervously but Judy's shot straight up and she gave a quick and professional response, "Officer Wilde and I were having a heated discussion about his actions during the last arrest. We both felt the conversation was better held in private."

"A 'heated discussion' you say?" Bogo echoed, not quite convinced.

"Ah, that is correct sir," Nick continued, "I felt my actions were justified but we agreed that better communication was necessary going forward."

Chief Bogo looked at Nick and then Judy before nodding his head.

"Glad to hear you were able to sort that on your own. God knows I hate having to be a nursemaid for two grown animals. Anyways, the reason I was looking for you two is because I just received some distressing news and I wanted you two to hear about it first before I addressed the rest of the squadron."

Nick and Judy exchanged nervous glances. They were relieved that they were able to hide the real purpose of their disappearance but couldn't imagine what Bogo would have to say that involved them specifically. Except…

"I just received a call from Felinus Penitentiary that there was an escape during a prison transfer," Bogo explained, "Dawn Bellwether is loose and we believe she may be heading back into the city. Consider this a warning as her motives are currently unknown but we aren't ready to rule out revenge or her continuing her previous work of terrorism. I want you two working closely with the task force leader to bring her in."

"Yes sir," Nick and Judy said in unison.

"Before you go," Bogo said, his voice softening, "I recommend you two stay particularly vigilant, both in and out of uniform."

 **Author's Note: Well, that's probably not good. What it good is that I've finished chapter 20, the last chapter, but I'm making a bonus chapter just for funsies. I also wanted to take this time to sincerly thank everyone who had favorited, followed or left a review. I haven't written anything in a very long time and I never shared anything I wrote before. This has really been a lot of fun and a big part is thanks to you guys. You've all been so cool so...thanks. *blush***


	13. Scruffy Old Fox

A week had passed since news of Bellwether's escape with no luck in finding her. The specialized task force that was called in believed there may have been a possible conspiracy that lead to her escape but no leads were ever found. News crews reporting the story stirred up a frenzy in the city which caused even more difficulty for the police who were looking for her. Prey animals were once again fearful of predators, though not as hateful as they had been in the past. There was an understanding that the predators were not the enemy, but who knew when one would be attacked by the wicked serum and turn into a crazed killing machine. The ZPD were struggling with the increase of predator related complaints and many officers were forced to work overtime. Things had gotten very tense in the city.

Nick and Judy were on patrol, working yet another double shift late one night, when one such call came in from the dispatch.

"Unit A113 we have a noise and disorderly conduct report coming in from 578 Miller Ave. Are you still available?"

Judy grabbed the radio transceiver, "This is A113, we copy and are en route."

Nick nodded at his partner from the driver's seat and flicked a switch causing the roof of the patrol cruiser to burst into flashing colored lights.

"Copy that A113, caller complained of a fox acting suspiciously. You've got that partner of yours under control, right Hopps?"

"I hope so, he's driving," Judy smiled at her partner. Judy was grateful for Clawhouser's humor. He had really stepped up in the past week trying to bolster team morale with his jokes and by purchasing extra doughnuts, snacks and coffees for the cops who barely had enough time to sleep. Even Judy, as upbeat as she usually was, was feeling the stress of the situation and it was affecting her mood.

Nick smiled back and wondered if he knew any foxes who might hang around Miller Ave but that area was pretty far from his usual stomping grounds.

When they arrived they were relieved to see that they didn't have to look far for the cause of the complaint. An obviously drunken fox was arguing loudly with an aggravated pig in his bathrobe.

"I've got the fox," Nick suggested, "you take the pig." It was always recommended, especially in instances of inebriated animals, to match species. Animals, no matter how progressive, always responded better when dealing with their own kind, or the closest thing possible.

Nick approached the fox and he could hear the pig yelling about "savage behavior." The drunken fox stumbled and barked back at the pig. He appeared to be in his early 60's and reeked of beer and he was slurring his words.

"Hey friend," Nick called to the older fox, trying to come off as friendly, "what's happening this evening?"

The drunken fox glared at Nick for a few moments. It was obvious the fox was drunk to the point where he couldn't even focus his eyes.

"The fuck are you, a stripper?" the fox growled.

Nick smiled at the thought, "Heh, no it's officer. You seem like you've been partying tonight. What's your name pal?"

"I'm not giving my name to some faggot stripper." the fox grumbled as he swayed in place. Nick was finding the drunk fox less amusing.

Judy approached Nick from behind and spoke softly so only Nick would hear her, "The hog says your friend there was yelling and broke a window. We have to bring him in."

"I was thinking that was going to be the case, this guy is so far gone." Nick turned back to the older fox, "Hey pal, how about we go for a ride. Get you off the streets, somewhere warmer."

Nick reached for the fox's arm but he only pulled himself away from the cops and began slurring swear words in their direction. Judy was nearly void of patience and so she called to the drunk in her most commanding voice, "Sir, you are clearly inebriated and have caused enough of a disturbance. You need to come with us right now."

The drunk stared down at Judy before blurting out, "Fuck off long eared rat."

Judy sighed and nodded to her partner. "Magic?" she suggested. For the past week Nick and Judy had been coming up with clever little plans and code names to help make their jobs easier.

Nick nodded and moved towards the fox, feigning friendliness, while Judy moved behind the older fox casually and pulled out her handcuffs. While Nick distracted the drunkard, Judy was going to grab and cuff him. However, as soon as she touched the fox he jumped and reacted by swinging his fist backwards into Judy's face. The blow wasn't hard but it did catch her off guard and she fell to the ground.

Nick reacted like a flash. Quickly, he grabbed the old fox and pressed him into the side of a nearby car. Nick twisted the old fox's arm back and quickly slapped him in cuffs.

"Stay there and shut up," Nick barked angrily, the friendly facade completely obliterated, "Hopps, you alright?"

Judy rubbed her nose as she stood up. She wasn't even bleeding. "I'm fine." She turned to the old fox, "Sir, you have the right to remain silent."

Judy continued to recite the old fox his rights as Nick frisked him for weapons and ID. He found the Fox's wallet and stared at the ID card for a good minute. Nick looked into the old fox's face and then back to the ID before shoving the card back into the wallet. Judy was leading the old fox by the arm into the back of the cruiser. After being slammed into a car, the old guy didn't have any fight left in him but he didn't mind sharing his feelings towards the arresting duo.

"Taken in by one of my own kind. What kind of world is this? What happened to comradery? A traitor, that's what you are. A no good filthy son of a bitch," the drunkard slurred.

"Did you get an ID?" Judy asked after he tucked away their catch. Nick waved the wallet as he hopped into the driver's seat.

"When we get back, you should let me process this guy, you go make sure he didn't break your nose," Nick offered.

"I doubt it. It doesn't even hurt anymore," Judy rubbed her nose and smiled, "although, it was awfully sweet how you came to my rescue."

Nick gave her a weak smile as he pulled into traffic but he swerved and nearly caused an accident when Judy grabbed the wallet off his lap.

"Woah Nick! Maybe you should let me file this guy in while you take nap. You seem jumpy."

Nick glanced nervously between the road and the wallet and sighed to brace himself for what was coming up.

Judy read the name on the ID aloud, "Cameron Wilde." She looked over at Nick who stared straight ahead at the road with tired eyes. She then looked back to the old fox who had fallen asleep in the back seat. "Hey look at that, you guys have the same last name. You two wouldn't happen to be relations? Would you?" Judy tried to sound like she was joking but she wasn't nearly as good at masking her emotions as Nick.

Nick glared at her from hooded lids. "I've never met this guy before, but I wouldn't mind processing him as quick as we can so one else jumps to the same conclusion."

Judy nodded in agreement and looked back at the sleeping drunk. There were plenty of foxes in the city and Wilde wasn't an uncommon name but even in a city as large as Zootopia, if there were two animals of the same species and last name, chances were high that they were related somehow. Judy wasn't about to press her partner on the matter but she now wished she had gotten a look at the old fox's eyes. Judy knew Nick's mother had brown eyes so Nick's father would have to have the same uniquely bright green eyes as him.

Judy told herself the fox in the back wasn't Nick's father but could possibly be a more distant relative, like a third cousin twice removed.

Judy and Nick drove in silence all the way to the precinct to drop the fox into the drunk tank. When they tried to pull him out of the car though, the old fox vomited all over the back seat of the cruiser and onto Nick's pants and feet. Nick cringed and Judy offered to process the fox while Nick went to the locker room to change. Nick agreed and Judy brought the groaning fox into the ZPD headquarters.

Judy processed the old fox as quickly and quietly as she could and no one took any notice of the new inmate. She was about to return to the cruiser but she couldn't shake her feeling of curiosity. She grabbed a bottle of water and brought it into the drunk tank. The fox was sleeping soundly on the bench. If she could just look at the old fox's eyes. She stood over the sleeping fox. She could take a peek. None would be the wiser.

Judy leaned over and carefully placed her paw above the fox's eye. She gently peeled the lid back. The eye was rolled back into its socket but with the intrusive light, it rolled around before focusing on Judy. She let out a gasp as the old fox grumbled.

"I WAS BRINGING YOU WATER AND YOU WEREN'T BREATHING SO I WAS CHECKING TO SEE IF YOU WERE OK AND YOU ARE SO I'M LEAVING NOW OK BYE!" Judy lied quickly as she dashed out of the drunk tank. Her heart was racing as she made her way back to the cruiser.

Nick was already at the car. His fur was still damp and he hadn't yet put on a new uniform top. Instead he wore just the pants and an undershirt as he cleaned the back of the car. A few other cops walked by and made jokes about the condition of the car but Nick didn't seem to hear them. He was just dumping out paper towels full of puke.

"Oh hey slick Nick, I was just about to come to do that," Judy tried to say cheerfully. Nick just looked back at her with tired eyes. She rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a wet rag from the bucket of soapy water Nick had already gathered. She went to the other side of the car to begin cleaning on that side. The two animals worked on the car in silence. Judy's mind was screaming questions to Nick but her sense of tact held her back. Nick was being uncharacteristically quiet. Did he know something she didn't?

"So I've got the old guy all processed and in the drunk tank. No one said anything. I didn't even put your name on the arrest report. I figured mammals wouldn't talk as much," Judy couldn't take the silence anymore but Nick just gave her a short hum. They went back to cleaning but the silence and her curiosity was killing Judy.

"So I know I already asked but, you know, you both have the same last name so."

Nick stopped and glared at Judy.

"I know, I'm sorry it's just-"

"Stop it! I know what you're thinking and what you're going to ask and I'm telling you don't," Nick barked angrily at her. Judy had never heard Nick speak with such malice before. She flinched as if the words were a baseball bat ready to swing down on her.

"Ok, I'm sorry," she replied meekly, "it was just such a coincidence, and I saw his eyes so I thought."

"No! You didn't think anything! There is no connection between me and him," Nick was on the verge of yelling angrily at her now.

She knew it was a lie, why else would he be so upset? She sat in the car in silence trying to hold back tears that threatened to fall. Nick scrubbed furiously at leather seats. Judy let out a small sniffle as she went back to cleaning the carpeted floor.

Nick threw down the cloth he was using and ran his hands over his head and down his neck. He closed his eyes tightly and took a controlled breath.

"Look, carrots, I don't care who that guy is. I don't care what his name is. I don't care what he looks like," Nick looked into his partner's eyes, "I know who you think he is but I am going to tell you, he is not that person. For all it matters, that person died when I was four. I don't even remember what he looks like. Please, you have to let it go."

Judy nodded her head, "Ok, I'll drop it. I just don't understand how you don't care. I mean, he's right there Nick! He has your eyes!"

Nick balled his fists together and spoke through clenched teeth, "I'm choosing not to care. It's a skill. Doing otherwise isn't going to help anything."

"But Nick, you are never going to get this opportunity again," Judy pleaded.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE JUDY! DROP IT! I AM FUCKING DONE TALKING ABOUT THIS SHIT!" he screamed at her.

Judy watched with her paws over her mouth as he stormed off. She fought with herself to keep from crying. She slammed the cruiser doors shut and hid on the floor of the passenger front seat and let her tears run freely. She couldn't get the image of the enraged Nick out of her head; the way his ears folded down to nothing, the way his fur puffed to make him look gigantic and menacing, and worst of all, the way his mouth wrinkled and twisted showing off all his sharp white teeth in a monstrous way. Nick had changed for an instant in a way that frightened her and reminded her of the dangers she put herself through just by being around him. What value did trust have when he was still a fox who could tear her to shreds whenever the mood struck him?

She knew this way of thinking was wrong. He was mad certainly but he wouldn't really hurt her, no matter how scary he got. After a few minutes Judy's tears had run their course. She struggled to get her breathing back under control but once she did she finished cleaning the car and put away the supplies.

She looked at the clock, there were only 15 minutes left in her shift and Nick hadn't come back to her. She decided that no one would miss her for those 15 minute and she left to leave for home.

Normally Nick and Judy walked together to either of their places but now Nick was nowhere to be seen. She checked the precinct on her way to the locker room to change but sh couldn't find him. After she was dressed in her street clothes she stopped to the reception desk.

"Hey Benny, have you seen Nick?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh yeah he came through maybe twenty minutes ago? He was out of uniform so I think he was leaving for the night," Clawhouser smiled at the little bunny.

"Oh ok, thanks," she smiled weakly at the large cheetah before she turned to walk home alone.


	14. At the Hopps' Farm

The next day when Judy showed up for work Nick was already there. He was chatting casually with with some of the other officers. Judy considered approaching them, but instead she ducked straight into the bullpen.

Nick and Judy usually sat together in the same giant chair but this time Nick sat directly behind her in the second row instead. She squirmed at the thought of Nick staring at the back of her head. Assignments were handed out by the chief and Nick and Judy left for the garage to get their cruiser.

"You wanna drive?" Judy offered hoping to start things off right. However his usual happy aloof expression hardened and he have her a cold glare. He ripped the keys from her hand wordlessly and stepped into the car.

The two animals drove in silence for quite some time before Judy tried to start a conversation with Nick but he simply stared down the road without acknowledging her. She tried to talk to Nick several more times but each time failed to get a response. He did speak to her when they made a traffic violation stop and when she asked about his cold shoulder he merely accused her of being unprofessional by dragging personal matters in to work. The rest of the day dragged on in similar fashion and Judy grew less willing to bury the hatchet. The two animals came to a silent agreement that they would only speak to each other when their job depended on it.

It wasn't until they returned to headquarters that Judy tried calling Nick out for giving her the cold shoulder but his only response was that he had no idea what she was talking about and then accused her of being an over emotional bunny.

"Maybe this isn't the career for you if you're going to take offence to every little gesture carrots. It's a tough world, maybe too tough for a cute little bunny."

Judy grew angry at her lover. She hated how he only acted cold towards her but laughed and joked with other animals.

By the end of the shift she was walking home alone for the second time since Nick began working at the ZPD.

The next day roles reversed. Nick had wondered if he took his revenge plot too far after he was blatantly snubbed by the little bunny, but now she wasn't ready to forgive him. They two continued their pattern of speaking only when they had to for work but the bunny was less capable of playing the cold shoulder and she found herself arguing with the large fox.

The next day continued like the first two, as did the day after that.

On the fifth day the two animals were clocking in their 78th hour of the work week when Nick randomly pulled the cruiser over to the side of the road.

"What are you doing?" Judy asked grumpily.

Nick sighed, "Judy, I'm tired."

"No shit, we've been working 12 hours a day every day this week and everyday last week. Suck it up fox."

Nick rubbed his face. "That's not what I mean. I'm talking about us, about what we are doing. I can't even remember why we are still fighting."

Judy sighed and relaxed a little, "I don't know either, it's been so long."

"We used to be friends, and now we're not. I miss that," Nick looked over to his partner. "I miss hanging out. I miss you. I miss _being_ with you."

"Oh God Nick," Judy rolled her eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that, although I do miss that too. I just don't know what we need to do to get past this."

"Well for starters you could apologize for baring your teeth at me! And then again for being an ass."

"Come on, you can't say that you've been completely blameless in this. You've been all over the place for weeks. I don't know how to make you happy anymore."

"What a male excuse!" The little bunny barked.

"Damn it Judy. I don't want to fight anymore! I just want my happy girlfriend back."

"Well maybe I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore!" Judy's paw shot over her mouth at the realization of what she just said.

Nick was stunned. "Wow. Ok, so are you really breaking up with me?"

Judy could feel the tears well up in her eyes. They fell as she closed her lids. She didn't even bother hiding them. She took in a large breath. "I don't know Nick. Everything has been so stressful with Bellwether on the loose and we've been working so much and then the fight. I feel like I'm always tired but I can't sleep. My stomach hurts all the time and my head feels like everything is constantly spinning."

Nick nodded, he had been feeling the same, more or less. Without judy, Nick had begun to destress by drinking copious amount of beer. He could barely get up some mornings.

"It's all too much for me. I think," Judy spoke slowly, the plan forming as she spoke, "I think I might go back home this weekend. I need to clear my head. I need to get out of this city."

"And then what?" Nick asked sadly, afraid of the answer.

"I don't know. Maybe you do what you can to relax this weekend too. Try to forget about me for a little while and when we come back we'll see what we should do from there."

Judy looked up to her partner to find his eyes were just as glassy as hers.

"I don't want to lose you."

"I'll come back, just maybe, we've been spending too much time together? Maybe we are just too different to be anything more than friends? I don't know but I will come back." Judy reached over and gave Nick's paw a squeeze.

Two fat tears rolled down Nick's cheek and he nodded. The tone of Judy's voice was hopeful, but Nick couldn't shake the fear that no matter how the weekend ended, the Wilde-Hopps duo was through romantically.

Nick pulled the cruiser back into traffic and Judy sent her mother a quick text to let her know she was coming. They finished their shift and Nick walked Judy to her apartment to pack and then to the train station. Nick took Judy's hand as they waited for the train, the entire time his heart was breaking. She gave him a friendly squeeze before she withdrew and boarded the train.

Judy normally loved the view from the train as it soared through the various districts but today she sat on the train, completely numb. She arrived to the burrows after dark. Her brother Max was the only waiting at the station for her. He could sense her sadness but he was never good at comforting people so the two rabbits drove to the Hopps homestead in silence.

When they arrived Judy tried to give her usual perky greeting to all her family, but she was just too tired and at the first opportunity she sneaked off to her room and fell fast asleep amongst the blamkets and stuffed animals.

* * *

Judy slept through the entire morning and past lunch. When she woke the house was quiet. Her parents and all the older siblings were probably busy in the fields, finishing the harvest and preparing the fields for winter.

Judy wandered to the kitchen to make a sandwich, her stomach was still bothering her. She could see on the back porch her older sister Jenny was sitting and watching the little bunnies with Jill.

"Jill, how'd you get out of working?" Judy asked with a mouth full of bread.

"Oh, you're awake! I was starting to think you died down there," Jill called excitedly. In her lap was a tiny baby bunny.

"Aww, Jenny are these your new babies? They're so cute!" Judy scooped up a baby bunny and stroked its soft new fur. The feeling was very therapeutic.

"Hey Judy. What brings you around?" Jenny asked rocking one of the babies to sleep.

"Life just got really stressful and I needed a break. I put in almost 150 hours in two weeks because of a rogue prisoner. It got to the point where I can't sleep, despite being exhausted all the time and I constantly feel like I have to puke," Judy explained snuggling the baby.

"Sounds more like your pregnant to me," Jenny remarked calmly.

Jill gasped and stared at Judy but then she scrunched up her face in confusion. "Wait, aren't you dating that fox? You can't get pregnant from a fox can you? Oh! Unless you've been cheating! Are you having some sort of affair?"

"I'm not cheating and I'm not pregnant."

Jill pouted in disappointment.

"You're dating a fox? How did I not hear about this?" Jenny asked.

"Oh. My. Goodness. Don't you remember? Judy brought that fox home for the harvest festival and daddy caught them making out on the ferris wheel!"

"Really? A fox Judy? I must know all the juicy details. What's it like being with a fox?" Jenny leaned in and bounced her eyebrows.

Judy's heart ached. "I really don't want to talk about Nick right now, we kinda hit a rough patch."

"That's a shame but no one cares. What is he like in bed?" Jenny insisted.

Judy smiled at her older sister's tactless humor. "Well he is really sweet, and funny, although sometimes annoying."

"Ugh, that's every guy when you're in love. Give me the good stuff before I fall asleep," Jenny pressed as Jill giggled like an innocent child.

"Fine, he's huge. Are you happy?" Judy could feel her cheeks and ears get warm, "It's shaped a little funny 'cause he's got this thing called a knot but it feels really good. He also growls when he's really feeling it which is kinda hot and when we're done he likes to wrap me up in his arms and tail and it's so soft and warm and he'll snuggle me all night long."

"He snuggles?" Jill gasped.

"He growls?" Jenny raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Judy smiled thinking of being tucked away in the safety of Nick's embrace, "Yeah, the sex is kinda rough, but I like it, and afterwards he can be really sweet."

"And you two are going through a 'rough patch'?" Jenny asked.

"Well, we have been fighting a lot lately-"

"Since when?" Jenny cut Judy off.

"Um, maybe a month?"

"Did it start kind of suddenly? Like, you _just_ noticed how annoying or immature he is? All. The. Time?"

"I-I think so," Judy stammered.

"Yeah, you're pregnant. Mazal tov," Jenny said casually as she put her sleeping baby down in a nearby play pen.

"That's not possible. There have never been bunny-fox hybrids before. It's scientifically unsound!"

"So? There's never been a bunny cop before. It was," Jenny paused, "socially unsound."

"That's different."

"Ok, it is but let me tell you something. Before these little buggers popped up," Jenny nodded to the bitty bunnies, "I was a royal bitch to Billy. Its hormones darling, nothing you can do but ride it out."

"I'm not pregnant and I wasn't a bitch," Judy concluded as she stood to leave she handed the cooing bundle back to its mother.

"Sure dear, but if you want to be positive I'm sure Jill has some pregnancy tests stashed in her room somewhere. She gets pregnancy scares even when she's not getting laid."

"Hey, I'm right here!"

Judy shook her head at her sisters' antics. Jenny always had a strange way of knowing things about other people that they didn't know about themselves but her delivery was always rough. Judy's stomach was still aching but she decided that she might as well try to go for a jog. The clean country air might be just the thing she needed to clear her head.

Unfortunately for Judy, Jenny's words continued to roll in her head. She couldn't enjoy the beauty of the fall leaves as she ran because all she could think about was the possibility of the impossible suggestion from her sister. Judy ran back home feeling no better than when she began.

As she made her way back to her room, she stopped in front of a curtain with unicorns and rainbows plastered all over it. Even though it looked like it Might belong to one of her youngest siblings, she knew it really belonged to Jill. She stared at the curtain for a moment knowing Jenny was right about their sister. She shook her head and continued to her room. She didn't make it more than two steps when she turned around and invaded her little sister's room.

Judy reemerged only seconds later with a box containing her prize. She ran and got some clothes and then locked herself in the bathroom

 _This is stupid. I can't be pregnant. It's not possible._

Judy sat on the toilet, voices in her head were fighting over what to do. She can't be pregnant. She knew that and she didn't need a pregnancy test to tell her that. And yet, Jenny had sparked a strange paranoia in Judy. Maybe she should take the test just to confirm what she already knew.

Judy ripped open the box and read the instructions carefully. Her chest began to beat heavier as she reached under the sink for a paper cup. She peed into the cup and set the test in the cup per the instructions. Now she had twenty seconds to wait. She began to count.

One, two, three, four, five…

She couldn't believe she was really doing this.

Ten, eleven, twelve…

Here she was thinking of breaking things off with Nick and starting a family with him at the same time.

Nineteen, twenty. She pulled the applicator out of the cup and set it on the counter. Now she had to wait two whole minutes for the results.

One, two, three…

She thought about Nick's warm embrace and his cool smile as she counted.

Seven, eight, nine...

But she also thought of his cruelty towards her the last few weeks.

Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…

They way he acted so cool and normal like nothing was bothering him.

Twenty one, twenty two…

He acted as if he didn't even care that they were fighting unless they were alone together.

Twenty eight, twenty nine…

And the way he bared his fangs at her.

Thirty three, thirty four…

How could she keep going with him knowing that he could do it again.

Thirty nine, forty…

This was only their first big fight. What if he did worse than bare his fangs at her next time.

Forty six, forty seven…

What if he struck her. Would he?

Fifty one, fifty two…

She stared at the device on the counter.

Fifty four. Fifty five…

No. Nick wouldn't do that. He might make her feel like dirt but he would never hit her.

Sixty, sixty one…

Halfway there. Judy imagined Nick's face again, smiling this time.

Sixty four, sixty five…

How could she want to break up with him when what she really wanted was to bury her face in his chest and let him comfort her through the pain.

Seventy, seventy one…

Tears ran down her face as she thought about his gorgeous smile, the cute way his tongue curled when he laughed, the way he could tease her without being condescending.

Seventy nine, eighty…

She thought about how amazing he was in bed. The way he made her feel things she didn't think was possible before.

Eighty six, eighty seven…

But still, something changed between them.

Ninety one, ninety two…

She still loved him. Maybe they just needed a break. Maybe they needed to focus on themselves for a bit. Or maybe they should put in for a partner switch when she got back.

One hundred, one hundred and one…

She would have to do that anyways if the test surprised her.

One hundred nine, one hundred ten…

Ok, She had a plan now. When she got back to the city she was going to talk to Nick about taking a break romantically. Play things by ear. Spend some time apart.

One hundred sixteen, one hundred seventeen…

Unless the test decided to surprise her in which case she would have to come up with a new plan.

One hundred nineteen, one hundred twenty.

Judy picked up the test. Her hands were shaking. There were the results in front of her.

"Ok," she sighed to herself, "Everything is going to be ok."

She threw the test in the sink and hopped into the shower.

 **Author's Note: it is so agonizing reading the reviews because I want so badly to repond but at the same time I don't want to give out spoilers (even though my writing is pretty damn transparent) and I want the story to speak for itself. Arg!**


	15. Meanwhile

Nick watched as Judy boarded the train. He looked through the windows hoping to catch a glimpse of her but he had no luck. The train pulled away and he missed her.

He walked out of the station and glanced around the city as he took a deep breath before he headed home. The setting sun cast a warm glow which, combined with the bright orange trees, caused the city to look like it was on fire. Nick missed the beautiful sight completely as he slunk into the shadows of the alley ways.

He had made his way back to Sahara Square without really knowing where he was or where he was going. His usually busy mind was empty save what felt like a still gray mistiness. When he arrived home he went straight to his fridge and cracked open a beer like he has done every night for the past two weeks. He stared at the curtain separating his bedroom and sighed before collapsing into his couch.

Nick pulled out his phone and selected a number from his favorites list. The phone rang and Nick bolstered himself for the call.

"Finnick! Buddy! Hey, what are you up to?" from the other side of the phone the small fox would have never guessed anything was wrong, Nick's voice was his usual happy self.

"Nothin' man. What's goin' on with you?"

"Not much, but I was hoping we could change that. See, my girl is out of town for the weekend and I'm thinking of cutting loose."

"Oh yeah man. I was gonna play cards with Darwin and Greg at Conner's place. You should come by. We're meeting at nine." Finnick sounded happy over the phone and Nick agreed to the plan.

9:00 pm. He had a little over an hour to hang out then. He downed his beer and stared at the wall, the misty grayness was seeping back into his mind. He had one hour to be numb in the quietness of his apartment. There was no TV to fill time or the void inside him. He flicked through a few apps on his phone but nothing held his interest so he just finished his beer and started another.

He glanced at his sink. The dishes were piling back up without Judy, but at a second glance he realized it wasn't dishes but bottles that were spread all over the place. When was the last time he ate anything?

Nick had polished off his third beer before he left for Conner's and he wasn't feeling even the slightest bit tipsy. He decided to grab a twelve pack on the way.

When he arrived and the gray fox's apartment he burst in with smiles for all his old friends. Finnick was there, and Conner naturally, as well as Darwin and Greg. Some of the foxes he had seen only days prior while others he hadn't seen in months. All the foxes were drinking beers of their own and and a table was already set with cards and chips, both kinds for gambling and eating. Nick was happy to see all his friends again but when they had sat down to play the happiness slowly vanished.

All the foxes were shrewd poker players. They knew the game well, and as any good poker player knows, the game is more about playing your opponents than the cards and Nick was getting played.

"The fuck is wrong with you tonight?" Finnick finally growled after Nick failed yet another bluff and lost a sizable amount of cash.

"Me? N-nothing. Nothing is wrong," Nick stammered. He was losing money left and right like an armature.

"Shut up Fin," Darwin laughed, "I've never taken so much of Nick's money before."

"You never take anyone's money." Conner laughed. Greg laughed too but Finnick wasn't laughing. He was staring hard at Nick and Nick could feel the small fox trying to analyze him.

"Nah. Nah, somethin' is wrong. You haven't played cards with us in months but now all of a sudden, your girl is 'out' and you come over playin' like shit."

"Go play therapist someplace else, I'm trying to make some cash," Darwin grumbled.

"Fine I'll shut up. Just tryin' to be a good friend unlike you fuckers. Whatever. Take the fools money," Finnick shrugged, "I hope that bunny bitch dumped yo ass."

"Wait bunny? Are you dating a bunny?" Greg asked. "What's that like?"

"I bet she's tight as fuck," Darwin laughed, "or at least used to be, am I right?". Darwin threw his hand up for a high five but Nick just gave him a cold glare and Darwin realized he said the wrong thing.

"God, you win a few hands and you go off the rails don't you? But seriously, give us all the details but don't go all mushy on us alright?" Greg implored.

Nick was trying so hard not to think about Judy, but there was no way to avoid it now. "Um, yeah. Well there's definitely some truth to the whole 'fucking like rabbits' thing." Nick chuckled and the other foxes nodded approvingly. "And she is smaller so, you know, she is tighter than your average vixen. And-and she smells amazing and her fur is really soft. Oh and she's fit so her ass and her legs are to die for. And her eyes are this awesome shade of purple. And the things she does both in and out of bed, she can bring damn near any mammal to their knees. She's really awesome."

Nick realized too late that he had been rambling on like the love sick idiot he was. The other foxes were staring at him. Nick averted his gaze and tried not to blush. Nick had a reputation for being the most shrewd and controlled of the group. He always cleaned out the other foxes at poker. He never let anyone in behind his walls and the other foxes always admired that about him but here he was babbling on about such personal information the other foxes agreed with Finnick something was wrong.

"And she dumped your ass," Finnick finally broke the awkward silence.

The heat was rising in Nick's face. He tried forgetting Judy and it left him with a feeling of nothingness. Maybe anger was the better response.

"Yeah well, what if she did! So what? Fuck her and her stupid fucking mood swings." Nick yelled out. He could have gone on but if he did he knew tears would be coming and there was no way he could cry in front of his old pals.

"Alright boys," Finnick stood on his chair, "I think we can all see what's happenin' here and what needs to be done. I suggest we cancel card night and we all go to the bar and get this fox fucked up."

"Here, here."

"Agreed"

"Aww, but I was winning."

Despite protests Nick was dragged three blocks to a local club known as "The Den." Nick knew this place well and he was sure this was the kind of place Judy would disprove of. Inside Nick could see other foxes, weasels, otters, small cats and even wolves, all male, milling about and drinking. Only once they entered further into the club could the group see scantily clad females chatting and dancing with the males. At the far end of the club was a stage with a long pole where a mink was dancing wearing nothing but a sparkling bikini.

"Really guys? The Den?" Nick asked with mild embarrassment.

"Yeah I think my girl is working tonight, the one I told you about," Finnick scanned the club but it was a small arctic fox who found him first.

"Finny!" The fox squealed as she scooped up the even smaller fox. like the mink, she was wearing only a tiny bikini top and matching g-string, only her long fur spilled out of the get up making her look practically naked. "What are you doing here baby?"

Finnick smiled as and hugged the almost nude vixen.

"Angel! Meet my crew! Boys this is Angel, a.k.a. Gabby. Don't call her Gabby here though, she hates that," he leaned in close like that last part was a secret before he turned back to the vixen. "My boy, Nick, here just got dumped so we are taking him out to make some bad choices."

"Well you came to the right place for that," Angel instantly picked out which fox was Nick without any gesture. "Hey, you're kinda cute. I tell you what, my girl Star, she's about to go up and dance. How about you boys relax and afterwards I get her to come hang out with us. See if she can get you some special attention." The white vixen winked and then leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Now, don't go spreading this around but I happen to know that she and her beau broke up sometime ago and that girl is getting hungry if you catch my drift. Maybe you play your cards right, yeah?"

Nick swallowed hard and tried to give the vixen a friendly smile and nod. The group stopped first to the bar where Finnick ordered a round of tequila shots for the group. Nick ordered another shot and a beer. He took his shots and the crew made there way to the stage.

A series of hoots and hollers rose as a new dancer came onto the stage. Nick watched as the most beautiful vixen he'd ever seen walked to the pole with an exaggerated swing to her hips. Her fur was sleek and white with streaks of gray that ran down her body and accentuated her curves. She flicked her tail with her hips and more hoots came from the crowd. She grabbed the pole and shook her ass at the crowd. Nick was taken aback at its perfect roundness. The vixen continued to dance, her moves becoming gradually more complex, until she was swinging around the poles using just her legs and she was hanging upside down.

When she finished Nick had to pick his jaw off the floor. He watched her leave the stage with a fist full of dollar bills that the grateful patrons tossed her way. As she exited the stage she saw Angel approach her. They spoke and the gray and white vixen looked over to Nick's direction. Her eyes met his and he looked away embarrassed. Nick tried to concentrate on the weasel that made her way to the stage.

"Hey, Nick right?" Came a soft voice from behind. Two long arms slid over his shoulders and a beautiful face appeared next to his. Nick took a long drought from his bottle of beer nervously before he turned to face the vixen.

"Uh hi," he squeaked.

The vixen giggled, "Angel said you were cute. How about you buy me a drink and then we go someplace a little quieter."

Nick nodded dutifully and stood up to move but the vixen stopped short. Finnick had grabbed her wrist and was putting a folded up bill in her paw. "For when you get to that more quiet place," he said in an unnecessarily stern voice. Star gave him a wink before they headed to the bar. She ordered a shot of vodka and Nick got the same, doubled, along with another beer. Star seemed impressed as Nick threw back the drink in one gulp. They then went off to a small area with what looked like a row of dressing room. Nick and Star entered one of the rooms and she guided him onto a bench. She sat next to him and crossed one leg over onto his.

"So, what's your story?" She asked as she traced small circles on his chest with her finger.

Between the alcohol and the emotional marathon he had been through, Nick had no willpower left to mask his feelings and come up with a suave and charming story. All he had left was the truth.

"I got dumped."

"Aw poor baby. Who would be so dumb as to throw out a catch like you?" Star leaned in closer to Nick. "Do you want me to make it all better."

Nick nodded his head and Star climbed onto his lap and began to move her shoulders and hips in slow, sensual circles. She ran her paws down the back of his neck and pulled him into her chest. Nick closed his eyes but when he did, even though the size was all wrong, Judy appeared before him in his mind. Nick's eyes shot wide open again. He stared into Star's bright blue eyes.

"You can touch me if you want. I know it's technically against the rules, but for a cutie like you, I won't tell."

Nick gulped hard. His paws were shaking as he gently placed them on her waist. Star then twisted and sat back on his lap. Her rump was grinding into his pelvis. He put his paws back on her waist and soon he began rubbing her hips. He couldn't help but imagine taking Star home and bending her over and abusing that tight round ass, but again his fantasy shifted to when he had already done that with Judy.

Nick squeezed his eyes closed. He tried to get the small bunny off his mind and focus on the vixen in front of him, but he couldn't shake his guilt. What would Judy think of him right now? Did he care what she thought? He must or he wouldn't keep thinking about her. And yet, hadn't she told him to forget about her for the weekend? If Judy never walked into his life he would probably be falling in love with the beautiful vixen and working his way into her bed. But if Judy never walked into his life, Finnick might not have started working with Angel and he might not have been able to get Star's attention.

Nick quickly slid his hands up and across the vixen's abdomen and he embraced her in a tight hug. Star was surprised but she didn't call out, she just froze, waiting to see what he would do next. Nick took in a long breath, inhaling and entire lung full of Star's scent. It was pleasant but something about it just didn't appeal to him.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." Star turned and stared at Nick, her facial expression demanded an explanation. "You are very pretty. I mean, you are probably the most beautiful vixen I've even seen, but I'm still in love with my girlfriend and this feels wrong."

Star continued to sit on Nick's lap, her eyes were searching his face, looking for something before she spoke, "I know I'm beautiful, I don't need you to tell me that. Shit, I have destroyed marriages. You hear me? Marriages, as in more than one." She flipped around and reached into Nick's pant pocket. Like any sneaky fox would do, she had previously spied which pocket held his phone and wallet. She pulled out the phone and began tapping furiously at it. She flipped it around to show Nick that she programmed her number into it.

"Not everyone can resist my looks and charm. If your girl can't realize what a catch you are, you give me a call." Star turned and walked away in a huff after returning his phone.

Nick looked at the name entered into his phone.

"Samantha."

Nick thanked Samantha in his mind, he was about to run out the door but realized how pointless that would be. Where would he go and what would he do? Judy was all the way in Bunny Burrow. It would be too late to catch a train out there. instead he returned to his buddies. He felt like a new fox and the next round of drinks were on him. He barely noticed any other female for the rest of the night and he drank to toast his new vigor. He wouldn't reveal it to the guys, but starting tomorrow, Nick was determined to win Judy back at any cost.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Oh, I'm sorry. Were you hoping for Judy's test results this chapter? Bwahahaha!**

 **Actually I had a lot of fun trying to express their individual mindsets making Judy to be the one who is calculating the possibilities and next steps and Nick is the emotional train wreck. Are they rubbing off on each other or is this who they are without masks and ambitions coloring their actions?**

 **Again I want to thank you guys for the reviews. If you could only see my gleeful facial expressions as I read them!**


	16. Bug Bite?

**Author's Note: You can't take the suspence and I'm getting a freaking high off the comments so let's have another update today? What do you say?**

* * *

Nick woke up in his bed with his head throbbing. How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was the strip club and drinking with the boys. He must have drank too much. Despite the pounding in his head he did his best to sit up and nearly killed himself when he stepped on one of many empty beer bottles littered over the floor like landmines.

He looked at himself in the mirror. His fur stuck out in weird places and he could see the sheen of stripper glitter embedded in his fur. He stank of beer, smoke, cheap perfume and his mouth tasted like vomit. There was no way he was winning Judy back like this. He walked slowly to the kitchen for some water. He was feeling all of his 33 years doubled as he dodged various bottles and cans that were scattered across the floor.

 _Ok, water first, maybe bread, then shower, then clean this place up and then figure out how to win back Judy._

He gulped down an entire glass of water and was working on a second when he heard a rustling at his door. He spun around as Judy walked in, her keys in his lock. The two animals stood and stared at each other for a moment. This was not the look Nick wanted to go for when he first saw Judy.

"Hey honey, how was your trip?" Nick tried to act as casual as he could.

"Wow Nick," Judy was stunned at the mess she saw. "I guess you had some fun without me."

"Uh, yeah, well, I mean, no. Um, you see what happened-" Nick tried to explain but Judy held up her paw to stop him.

"I was coming over to talk but I can tell you're not ready. I'll just go. Call me when you're better." Nick could hear the disappointment in her voice as she turned to walk away.

"Judy, wai-" Nick started to chase after her but instead he stepped on another bottle, this time he fell down hard. His stomach gave a vicious lurch and he curled his body in an attempt to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged. He tried to crawl towards the door after the nausea had passed but he knew it was too late. She was gone. Nick laid on the ground cursing his bad luck. He was going to have to work extra hard to win her back now but he wouldn't be able to do it in his current state.

Nick forced himself to get up, when the nausea hit again he ran to the bathroom and expelled as much as he could from his body. He didn't wait for his bearings to return before he threw himself into a cold shower. He cleaned every inch of himself and brushed his teeth twice. He still felt like shit as he got dressed, but he hoped plain bread and a bottle of water would do the trick to cure his ails. He grabbed his phone and wallet before heading out. He was definitely going to need his wallet. He wasn't sure if he could afford all the flowers he was going to have to buy. Maybe if he went to Otterton he could get a good deal. Nick stuffed a slice of bread into his mouth as he ran out the door.

He got passed the alley when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his neck.

"Oh damn!" Nick yelped as he pulled the bug that bit him off his neck.

"Nick! Old buddy. It's been so long, how's it going," Nick was suddenly embraced by a large ram he didn't know. He began to feel woozy as the ram started to guide him down the street. Nick looked down at the bug still in his hands. It was no bug, but a piece of plastic with a long needle coming out of it. Nick's vision began to blur as he was thrown into the open doors of a dark van.

Nick mumbled something incoherent about a bunny before everything went black.

* * *

 **Author's note: Please don't hate me for what I'm about to do. I swear I love these furbabies.**


	17. Bellweather (explicit)

**Author's Note: This chapter is explicit for violence. You've been warned.**

Judy's nose twitched. She could smell the damp air and she shivered on the cold, concrete floor. Why was she sleeping on the hard ground? Her eyes fluttered open. A florescent light flickered overhead and she could hear people talking, though she couldn't make out the words.

She tried to sit up but she could feel a heavy chain weigh down on her neck. She tried to look around but her vision was very blurry. She could see a green and red mass in front of her but everything else was just a mass of gray with flecks of purple. She blinked and rubbed her eyes trying to clear them. When she opened them back up she could clearly tell the mass was none other than Nick. She crawled to his side and rolled him to onto his back. He was unconscious but seemed otherwise fine save the muzzle strapped to his face and a chain wrapped around his own neck. She followed both his and her chain to a point where they became one and threaded through an iron loop on the wall. She glanced at her surroundings. Tables were set with a multitude of various lab equipment. Against one wall she could see a grow light shining down and a bed of innocent looking purple flowers.

Judy gasped when she saw the flowers, "Night howlers!" With a jolt of panic Judy began yanking at the chain around her neck but it was no use. When that plan didn't work she began shaking the sleeping fox, frantic to wake him. He mumbled, but what ever drug had knocked them both out was still working in his system.

"Judy! You're awake," a voice called out to her. The voice was friendly, perky even, but it sent shivers down her spine. It was a voice that had already tried to kill her once before. Judy turned and looked up a set of stairs to see Dawn Bellwether. The small ewe gave Judy a friendly wave, "Oh I am so glad you woke up before that nasty fox. I was hoping we could get a chance to talk, you know, girl to girl."

"Dawn! What is this? Where am I?" Judy demanded.

"Oh well, I would think that is obvious. You are in my deep, dark, little dungeon where I am going to take out my revenge on you for ruining my plans and imprisoning me." Dawn never let the pleasant tone slip from her voice as she began slowly clopping down the stairs towards Judy. "Luckily for me, I wasn't the only one who felt that uniting all prey under a common cause was a good thing. I have some pretty powerful friends, Judy, and they helped me get back out here so I can continue my work. As you can see we are almost ready. Soon every single predator will be a walking time bomb to which I have my hoof on the button for all of them. Can you imagine the progress we can make when we are united against a common enemy."

"The only enemy to Zootopia is you!" Judy shot.

Dawn's face grew sad, "You may be right. But still, if this great city of ours needs me to play a villain, then so be it. Our people are adrift in an age of digital conveniences. They've gotten lazy, Judy. My aim is merely to wake them all up. Kick the bee's nest if you will."

"Dawn, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard and I spend all my time with this dork," Judy motioned to Nick.

The ewe stared at Judy for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Oh Judy, this why I like you. You're not afraid to speak your mind, you're driven, you've broken out of that bunny mold. You're just like me. I couldn't stand being just another part of the herd. I had to get out and make the world a better place."

"Oh my goodness Dawn, please stop sounding like a cartoon villain. I'm begging you. Just let us go and turn yourself in. You know this will only end badly for you. One day a SWAT team is going to come breaking down your door. You or your friends will get shot and killed and the city is going to move on with life."

"Ugh, Judy, you just don't get it do you." Dawn sighed, "Alright, fine. I don't know why I even bothered trying to explain myself anyways. You're right, I started monologuing didn't I?" The ewe chuckled before she called up the stairs, "Boys. I think we are ready."

"Ok, so you don't care about my master scheme or anything, that's fine. But I should at least explain what is going to happen next. See, I really do like you Judy but at the same time I'm really disappointed that I didn't get to see that fox tear you apart. So we are going to try that whole savage fox kills the bunny thing again."

Two rams then came tromping down the steps. One was carrying a heavy, plastic bucket full of sloshing water and the other held a baseball bat. The one with the bucket tossed the water onto Nick. The fox gasped as he was awoken instantly. The ram then grabbed the coughing Nick by the scruff of his neck before Bellwether continued.

"However there is a problem, because of you, there is now a cure to our night howler serum. I can't just douse the fox, let him kill you and leave him in a state of permanent insanity. So, we are going to make this a little more fun." Dawn then pulled a wicked looking blade from behind her back. Nick was still in a state of shock as he looked from the lamb to the bunny then to the rams. "When we are done preparing, we are going to make the foxy go nutty but we will give you this knife to defend yourself. I'm hoping one of you will kill the other and then good news; the survivor gets to leave."

Nick was frantically trying to process the words he was hearing. What did she mean by making him go "nutty?" Who was defending themselves with a knife? His eyes quickly darted around the room taking everything in. Oh God, was Bellwether going to make him go savage and attack Judy? There was no time to come up with a plan.

"However, as I said before, I like you Judy but, the truth is, I can't stand predators so we are going to tip the scales to your favor. My hope is that you kill the fox and spend the rest of your days hunting me but failing to stop me at every turn. A bit romantic I know, but I was always a fan of romance. Ok boys, go to town."

Once the permission was granted the ram not holding Nick balled his hooves into a fist and slammed it into Nick's jaw. Nick was knocked out of the first rams hoof with a grunt. Before he could recover the fox received a swift kick in the stomach.

"Please Dawn stop! You don't have to do this!" Judy screamed as she saw a hoof come down on Nick's head. Nick was curled up trying to protect himself from the heavy blows, unable to fight back against the flurry of hooves.

"Of course I don't have to, but I want to."

Judy leaped up to attack the ram kicking Nick but the other ram saw her coming and instead grabbed the chain coming from Nick's neck and gave it a good yank. The chain pulled through the loop and Judy was pulled back towards the wall so hard her head slammed against the concrete. Her vision went dark but only for a moment.

The ram kept a tight hold on the chain with one hoof, forcing Judy against the wall, with the other he grabbed the bucket and flipped it top side down. He pulled Nick's left arm across the top of the other bucket. Nick was too disoriented to react to what was happening but Judy went cold when the other ram reached for the bat.

"NO NICK! GET OUT OF THERE!"

The fox could only shake his head and look up to see the bat come crashing down across his arm and the bucket. Judy heard a sickening crack and time seemed to slow to a painful crawl. The bucket went flying off, cracked in two and Nick let out a blood curdling scream as he clutched his left arm. Judy nearly vomited as she saw his now useless arm dangle, twisted at a grotesque angle. Nick writhed on the ground in pain and Judy thought she could hear his screams turn to laughter. She looked to her partner. His face was twisted into a crazed grin as he laughed maniacally, trying to fight back the pain. His eyes were squeezed shut and tears were spilling down his cheeks. He gasped for air and clenched his jaws as his laughter turned into pained groans. When he opened his eyes again he glared at the two rams.

"Cock suckers!" He spat and growled, "I'm going to rip your faces off!"

Nick barred his long fangs and made to lunge at one of the rams but the other one slammed a hoof down on Nick's back, pinning him to the ground.

"Wow he barely even needs the serum, he seems pretty savage already," Dawn chuckled. At her cue the ram Nick had lunged for reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of deep indigo liquid. Quickly, the other ram yanked the muzzle off Nick's head and the first one uncorked the vial and dumped the contents onto Nick. The two rams then ran to a safe vantage point.

Nick tried to wipe off the liquid before it sunk into his fur, but the attempt was futile as the serum quickly took effect. It started with small muscle spasms that grew in intensity until he twisted and flopped on the ground, his mind trying desperately to stay in control of his body. With his last bit of consciousness he glanced toward his partner. She could see the pain in his eyes as his pupils narrowed into something primal, but there was nothing she could do.

"Oops I almost forgot about this," Dawn called as she tossed the knife towards Judy. She sat on the steps with her head in her hooves like she was excitedly watching a friend open a present.

Nick was growling and hissing as his mind gave way to his savage side. He tried to stand on all fours but crumpled as his broken arm gave way. It bent out from under him at an unnatural angle and the fox howled in pain. He tried to stand again, this time, not placing any weight on the arm. His back arched and he spied the sheep by the stairs. His breathing was ragged as he backed away from the larger creatures and he came to the end of the chain. The tug at his neck caused him to panic and he twisted quickly to look down the chain. That was when he saw Judy.


	18. Savage Nick (Explicit)

**Author's Note: This is another chapter that is explicit for violence.**

Nick and Judy's eyes locked. She could barely even recognize the animal in front of her. His clothes were torn and blood matted his fur from the savage beating he had just received and his face was contorted in a vicious snarl. He was hunched over, three paws on the ground, the other hung limp and twisted. His back was arched and his fur puffed up in a primal, monstrous stance. What was worst though was his eyes. His normally cool green eyes were wide and his pupils narrowed into primitive slits.

His ears flicked between Judy and the sheep but his eyes were locked on Judy. He snarled at her and took a small step towards the smaller mammal. Judy glanced at the knife Dawn had thrown to her. It was only inches away, she could grab it easily to defend herself if the fox lunged at her but could she kill her dearest friend to save her own life? Nick took another step towards her. Judy's heart was racing she squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't kill him but she wasn't ready to die either. She opened her eyes. She would get nowhere by panicking. Nick continued inching towards her, limping from his broken arm.

Judy watched his broken arm, though it hurt her to look at it, she knew it was her only opportunity for survival, as was Bellwether's intention. Nick came into pouncing range. He leaned back and lunged. Judy leaped to the right hoping to dodge on his bad side. She looked back and was surprised to find that the lunge at her must have been some kind of feint because instead of landing in the place she used to be, he instead leaped to his own right, going in the opposite direction Judy had. She watched stunned as Nick scurried to the side to one of the lab tables. He dove under it and backed himself behind a tank where he hissed and growled angrily.

"What is this?" Dawn called in disappointment. "What kind of terrible predator is this? She was right there! Do all foxes turn into snarly scaredy cats when they go savage?" The rams merely shrugged at each other in confusion.

"Sly fox," Judy whispered in amazement. Where Bellwether saw cowardice, Judy realized that even in his savage state, Nick was able to think quickly on his feet. The sheep's attempt at hindering the fox had backfired and set Nick's mindset to one of survival rather than hunting. Nick was able to recognize his vulnerable state and come up with a plan to defend himself, despite how primitive it was.

"Oh mutton chops, and here I was really looking forward to a show. Well, what are you two idiots doing? Drag him out of there. We'll figure something else out."

The two rams exchanged nervous glances before they knelt by the table to fish out the fox. Despite its primitive simplicity, Nick's plan worked very well. He hissed and snapped at the sheep so they couldn't get close enough to grab him.

Judy heard a scream from one of the rams. He was almost successful in pulling out Nick, but only because the fox had latched on to the sheep's arm with his teeth. Nick gave his head a violent twist, ripping open the the flesh on the ram's arm. As the ram scramble to get out from under the table Nick released his attacker and returned to his position of safety. The ram held his bleeding arm and ran towards the stairs. Blood trailed behind him.

"Idiot," the other ram mumbled as he grabbed the chain that was connected to Nick. He gave the chain a tug and Nick was dragged out with a yelp. However, the ram was too close and Nick lunged at the him. The sheep jumped back in surprise, narrowly avoiding the attack and dropping the chain in surprise. Nick ran back to his spot.

"Pain in the ass fox," the ram cursed. He wasn't ready to give up on his plan. The ram walked further down the chain, closer to Judy, and began fishing out Nick again. With the ram outside his attack range Nick could only struggle in vain to pull back and stay in his spot.

Judy realized the dangerous position Nick was coming into. He needed help and she wasn't about to watch him receive any further harm. She spied the knife, still within reach, and grabbed it. She gave a shout as she ran towards the ram and thrust the blade into his back, just above his right hip.

The ram screamed and arched his back in shock as Judy pulled out the blade, now covered in blood. She thrust the blade deep into his flesh again and a third time before the ram swung his hoof back, knocking Judy to the side, still clutching the blade. He held his side and turned towards Judy, backing away from her. Unfortunately for him, he was also backing into the table where Nick hid. The fox jumped out and bit the sheep's leg. The ram gave a jump before he too ran for safety.

Dawn stared open mouthed at the retreating ram and then turned to look at Judy. The bunny stood there, clutching the knife, in a defensive stance. Dawn's mind raced with what to do next and she grew frustrated as she realized how the tables had turned.

"I hope you're proud of yourself Judy Hopps. You think you managed to accomplish anything here? You haven't. You are still my prisoner and you are still trapped down here with that savage fox and guess what? He is going to get hungry eventually and bunnies are a fox's natural prey. My plan hasn't changed. One of you will still kill the other!" She yelled before she stomped up the stairs to check on her cohorts.

Judy relaxed her stance and collapsed to the ground exhausted. She looked down at the blood stained knife. Blood was also splattered on her white paws and her shirt. She touched her face and felt sticky globs of blood on her cheeks. She couldn't believe she had actually stabbed an animal. She thought about how easily the sharp blade had sliced through her foe's skin and muscle.

She sat for a moment and listened. She could hear her partner panting heavily nearby. She tried to look for him under the table but she could only see the tip of his nose bob up and down with his breathing. His good arm was sticking out and he laid his head down on it. Nick closed his eyes and let out a pained whine.

Judy's heart broke for the fox. Nick was still covered in blood, but with his eyes closed and his face no longer snarling he looked like her old lovable fox.

"Nick?" Judy whispered softly. His ears gave a flick but he gave no other indication that he heard her. She called to him again and inched a bit closer but still received no response. She continued to inch closer on all fours towards the savage creature. Her heart raced as she knew she was entering his striking range but he still just laid on the floor, his breathing was slowing to a normal rate.

Judy was just a about a foot from the fox when he opened his eyes and lifted his head. Nick and Judy locked eyes and she froze, unsure of what he was going to do next. He sniffed the air, taking in Judy's scent and then stood up on his three good limbs. He took a hobbled step towards her with a huff. His larger body was towering over her and Judy felt very small, even with Nick standing on all fours. He looked down at her crouched form through thin pupils before he collapsed on top of the small bunny. Judy was knocked off balance and Nick began whining in her lap.

She let out a relieved chuckle as she stroked her fox's fur. Nick pressed his head against her body and began licking the underside of her chin and his tail began to wag slightly. He whined the entire time he was showering her with affection. It was like he was trying to convince her to help him. She wondered if he actually recognized her in his state or if he simply decided she was no threat. Either way she was happy to be holding her fox in her arms again.

"Oh Nick, I'm so sorry." Tears welled up in Judy's eyes and she ran her paws through Nick's coarse fur to his soft undercoat. "I'm so sorry this happened and I'm so sorry for the way I treated you."

Nick snuggled his head harder into her belly. Could he still understand her?

"When we get out of this, I promise to be better to you. I'll give you the space to be your own fox, I'll think first instead of jumping down your throat all the time and I'll try to be less controlling of you." Judy began sobbing, "I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy because guess what? We're going to start a family."

Nick gave no reaction to her words but continued rubbing his head on her. Maybe he couldn't understand her words after all. She gave a silent prayer that they would get out and she would be able to tell him the good news when his mind had returned.

But first they had to get out of this basement. She struggled to come up with a plan when Nick's head shot up. Her ears twisted as she too heard a heavy step come down the stairs. Nick growled and Judy prepared for the second wave of the sheep's torture.


	19. Are you OK?

Nick opened his eyes slowly. He could hear a soft beeping and people moving and talking some distance away but he couldn't make out the words. His head throbbed and stomach hurt like he might throw up. His entire body was sore and his mind was fuzzy. He blinked his eyes and looked around the dim room. He was lying on a bed and machines were nearby displaying his vital signs.

He tried to sit up but his head swirled and he felt a weight on his left side. He looked at his left arm and saw that it was completely encased in a plaster cast with metal pins sticking out.

Did he break his arm? He couldn't remember. He tried to think back, clearing the fluff from his head. A memory of a baseball bat flashed in his mind. He was attacked. He and Judy were abducted and attacked. His heart began to race and he remembered he was going to be pitted against his partner in a fight to the death. He had been beaten prior so he could be more easily killed by the little bunny. He wasn't supposed to have survived, he shouldn't have survived. Yet here he was recovering in a hospital bed. His mind raced. He couldn't remember anything after the baseball bat. He couldn't even remember when the bat had hit his arm, even though he knew it happened. What happened in that basement? Did he kill his partner?

Nick panicked. He had to know what happened to his partner. He swung himself over the side of the bed but had to stop when a wave of nausea threatened to make him vomit. The machines let out a loud tone as he came unplugged from them. He tried to stand even though his body felt heavy.

A white tailed deer wearing scrubs burst into the room and called for help when she saw Nick crumpled on the ground.

"Mr. Wilde! You need to be in that bed. You're going to hurt yourself," she commanded.

"Judy," he muttered. The doe tried helping him back into the bed but he shook her off. "Judy!" he called more clearly this time, "I have to find Judy!"

"No Mr. Wilde, you need to be back in bed!" The doe insisted, once again trying to guide him back into the bed, more forcefully this time.

Nick fought back, swinging his good arm and knocking over an IV stand. He squirmed away from the doe with a snarl and ran out of the room.

"Judy!" He yelled as he skidded out of the room.

"Some one catch him!" The nurse cried.

Nick took off down the hall. He didn't know where he was going, his mind was still fuzzy and swirling with panic. Nurses came out from their station to chase him but Nick was too quick.

"Judy! JUDY!" He called frantically.

He turned a corner and saw his little bunny dash out of a far waiting room. His eyes filled with tears as he ran towards her. She ran to him and the two animals collided in a warm embrace. Nick fell to his knees as he hugged Judy tight to his chest.

Tears ran down his face, relieved that his worst fear had not come true.

"I thought," he sobbed, unable to complete his own sentences, "I thought you didn't make it. We-we weren't both su-supposed to-to make it."

"Dumb fox," Judy chuckled. "I'm fine, or at least better off than you. I'm sorry I wasn't in the room, the nurses insisted family only while you were still out. Come on, we should get you back there."

"Hm-hmm. I don't want to move." Nick squeezed Judy even tighter.

"Come on Slick. The nurses will get mad."

"No, if I move now I'm gonna throw up," Nick's head and stomach were doing somersaults from overexertion.

"That, Mr. Wilde, would be the morphine," said the doe nurse from behind him. She sighed, "I'll go get a bucket." The nurse grabbed the nearest waste paper basket she could find and with Judy's support, the two females got him back to his room and hooked him back into the machines. All the while Nick refused to let go of Judy's paw.

"I'll go tell the doctor you're awake and see if I can't get you anything for the nausea," the doe said grumpily as she walked away.

Nick leaned his head back onto the pillow still fighting the urge to puke. "I still don't understand," he said after a moment, "How did we escape?"

"Dumb luck really," Judy shrugged her shoulders. "As smart as those sheep are, you would think they would do their dirty work in a more remote location. Apparently a neighbor called in a noise complaint and when an officer came to investigate he saw the door wide open and a blood trail which led him to us." Judy let out a short laugh. "You should have seen the poor officer when he saw you. I've never seen a rhino look so scared."

Nick let out a small huff. He couldn't find the humor in losing his mind, even if it was temporary. "I take it Bellwether and her goons took off then?"

"Well, Dawn and one of the rams did, the other didn't make it." Judy looked down to her hands. Nick was curious about what she meant but he didn't press. She was probably as traumatized as he was.

"But she is still out there, right? Are you going to go after her?" Unlike Nick, Judy appeared unharmed save some missing fur around her neck and a bandage over her head.

She shook her head. "No, I had a debrief with Bogo. I'm on medical leave until I talk to a psychiatrist and get cleared to come back. They want to make sure I'm not suffering from PTSD and flip out on a random sheep. They will probably do the same with you." Nick nodded before Judy continued, "Even if I was cleared today, I probably won't be permitted to actively search for her anymore. This isn't some crime drama, lawyers would have a field day if anything happened to her and I was the arresting officer. Besides, I need to put in for light duty anyways before I start showing and the Chief yells at me some more."

Nick was following along with Judy's explanation up until the last part. "Light duty?"

"Yeah, you know, making copies, backed up paperwork, reception, dispatch, ugh, meter maid." Judy shuddered at the last option. "Can't endanger the little ones."

Nick's head swirled. It must have been the morphine because he could tell that she was trying to say something but he just couldn't pick up on what it was. Or, maybe he did understand but his level of shock left him dumbfounded.

"Little ones?" He gasped.

Judy smiled and rubbed her tummy as she gave a confirming hum, "Mm-hmm! I told you us rabbits are good at multiplying."

Nick didn't know what to say or how to feel about all this, "What? But I thought we couldn't? It is 'we' right?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask me that." Judy glared at the fox.

"No, I didn't mean that! But, you said it was impossible!" He clarified.

"Technically I said it has never happened before," Judy was starting to get nervous. She was really hoping he would be more excited about this but instead he was throwing accusations her way.

Nick threw his head against the pillow and ran his good paw over his face.

"I'm gonna be a dad?" he asked the ceiling and a smile crept across his face as he processed the information. "I'm going to be a dad." he paused, his shoulders bounced with an unformed laughter before he shouted, "I'm going to be a dad!" He laughed in such a way that Judy had never heard before. It wasn't his usual cynical laugh, but something more pure and joyful. His eyes popped open with an excited light as he pulled her close to him.

"I'm going to be a dad and you are going to be the mother of my kits! I can't believe this," he laughed joyfully until he suddenly stopped and his eyes grew large as he pushed Judy back away from him.

"I'm going to puke!"


	20. Funnies or Boxes?

**OH M GOODNESS! Over 100 followers! That's so exciting! Thank you guys!**

* * *

It was only a few days after Nick was released from the hospital when Bellwether was caught. Nick and Judy both wished they could have been the officers to arrest her but they were at least able to go down to the station to see her behind bars with their own eyes. They were both relieved, considering Judy's condition.

As it turned out, they had enough concerns with Judy's pregnancy that not worrying about Bellwether came as a blessing to them. Nick knew they were going to receive a lot of negativity over their children but he didn't expect it to come from the doctors themselves. Many of them scolded the couple for "putting themselves in this predicament," while others refused to treat them all together. One doctor had even gone so far as to insist on an abortion to which Nick had to hold back his furious girlfriend, lest he would have to turn around and arrest her for assault.

They had gone to see ten doctors before they had finally found one who seemed even remotely interested in the welfare of their unborn children. The doctor was a young lynx who was very interested in the challenges and possible outcomes of the pregnancy. He warned the couple that the mixed genetics could cause a slew of unknowable conditions from sterilization, mental or physical handicaps or it would be possible that none of the children would be able to survive outside the womb, but he promised that he would do everything in his power to ensure that each kit had the best possible chance at life that he could give. He scheduled out every possible test for Judy to take throughout the pregnancy, including an amniocentesis and three ultrasounds. He wanted to see her every other week during the first trimester, which Judy found excessive and annoying but she agreed.

The first ultrasound revealed six little kits and the second showed two boys and four girls and the two animals busied themselves with finding a home that could fit eight small mammals.

With only one month to go before the kits would arrive, Judy could no longer even do the meter maid work and had been moved to a temporary part time position for her light duty which, once again, annoyed her despite the reasonableness of it. The two mammals had finally picked a small three bedroom townhouse that was close to a local park. Nick, not wanting the little bunny to overexert herself, insisted on completing the paperwork and picking up their keys by himself on his day off before picking up the round bunny from work.

"Hey carrots!" Judy waddled through the reception area where she could see Nick leaning against Clawhouser's desk. He was wearing a large white smile and waving an even whiter envelope as he called to her, "You'll never guess what I've got!"

"I hope it's the keys to our new home, mind you I have no idea when we'll get to moving our stuff," she called back as she rubbed her large tummy.

"Ah, don't even worry about that fluff. It's not like we have a lot of stuff between us anyways," Nick shrugged.

Judy looked over to the bouncing cheetah as she took the envelope from Nick. "Are you ok, Benny?"

The large mammal let out a high pitched squeal and clapped his paws, "Open it! I want to see you open it."

"It's just a set of house keys, relax. I mean it's our first house, so I guess that is kind of exciting," Judy scoffed as she opened the envelope and let the contents fall into her palm. Sure enough out slid two normal looking keys attached to an odd key ring. She peered at the key ring, noting its circular shape and the fancy, tiny sapphires that that surrounded one large diamond set in gold. Shock washed over her as she realized that this was no ordinary key ring. She looked at Nick who had bent down on one knee. Even his best con man act couldn't hide the loving grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"So, I know that inter-species marriages aren't really a thing just yet, but, laws are changing all the time and I know that this has been a hot button issue for the politicians so maybe some day soon you and I could, well, you know," Nick bit his lip and turned his face away, his smile flashing between love, embarrassment and joy. " Ah, I just can't say it. Hey guys, help me out," Nick called out the last part.

Judy heard a shout in response, "We've got your back, Wilde!" Soon animals in blue uniforms came pouring from every nook and cranny. Judy's eyes began to water as she saw that the officers were arranging themselves and held sheets of paper with a single large letter printed on each one. She let out a single laugh and felt a tear run down her cheek. Her heart swelled as she was finally able to read the message. "Marry me, carrots?"

"So, yeah, what they said. As soon as the opportunity arrives, I want to make you my wife. So what do you say?" Nick beamed as he held Judy's small paw but confusion and panic struck him as she shook her head with tears streaming down her face.

"Dumb fox, you have to say it!" she demanded through laughing tears.

"Fine, Judith Laverne Hopps, will you make me the happiest fox in the world and marry me?" Nick laughed.

This time Judy nodded before she leaped into his arms. She squeezed the fox tightly as she laughed, "Yes, I will. One hundred percent!"

The entire building burst into cheers and Judy couldn't imagine a better proposal as all her friends came rushing forward to give their congratulations.

Nick gave Judy a tight squeeze around her shoulders, so as not to upset her belly too much. She nuzzled into his neck and then froze. He could feel the tension in her grasp change as she squeezed him less with her arms but rather with her fingers. He released his bunny and looked at her and saw a shadow of concern fall over her face.

"Hey carrots, are you alright? Is this too much for you?" he asked, his own face full of worry.

Judy took a deep breath and smiled back at the fox, "Yeah I'm fine but I think I just had a contraction. We should probably get to the hospital soon."

Nick was shocked by her nonchalant attitude as he raced to find transportation and get her to the doctor. Judy on the other hand calmly pulled out her phone and had a quiet conversation with a nurse to let them know she was coming before calling her mom.

Having seen her mother and sisters and sister-in-laws go through this same process, Judy would have been completely unconcerned if not for the potential dangers her children would face once they were out in the cold bright world. Judy couldn't help but worry. What if their internal parts didn't match up. Could a fox sized child survive with a bunny sized heart or set of lungs? Could a fox sized brain fit inside a rabbit sized skull? But, this was Judy's turn to put on a brave mask while her partner showed every emotion from fear to anger to joy and back again.

Judy entered the prepped delivery room and calmly changed into her delivery gown. Her doctor showed up only a few minutes after them and the nurses proceeded to hook up various monitors to check Judy's contractions and heart rate. Nick was surprised at how lengthy the process was. It had to be almost two hours since they arrived before Judy seemed like she was feeling any real discomfort, aside from the occasional contraction that increased in frequency and intensity.

"Hey doc, we're here awfully early aren't we?" Nick asked nervously, referring more to the date than the time.

The lynx gave Nick a friendly smile. He had changed into his scrubs and was putting on his gloves when he replied, "Yes, but I'm not surprised by this. I've got NNICU on standby and we aren't so early that there is much to fear. I imagine the kits just got too big for their little mamma." He gave Judy a gentle pat on the knee. She smiled though her breathing was becoming more labored. A nurse draped a blanket over Judy's knees as the doctor hiked up her gown and began examining her.

"Should be any minute," the lynx shared and Nick squeezed Judy's paw nervously. "Ok, next time you feel like a contraction is coming, I want you to hold your breath and bear down." Judy nodded and within moments Nick could feel her squeeze his hand as she strained her little body through the contraction for as long as she could. "Good, that was very good. We'll have to do that again very soon. How are you doing mama?"

Judy nodded her head as she concentrated on her breathing. Nick felt another squeeze and she let out another push. He stroked her hand feeling completely useless. Here was this tiny bunny putting forth so much effort and all he could do was stand like an idiot and offer moral support. He leaned down and nuzzled her ears.

"I can't believe this is happening. You are amazing and I love you so much," he whispered in her ear as the contraction passed. She reached over and grasped his hand with her other hand and managed a small smile.

"I love you too," she huffed before she began straining again.

"I can see a head," The doctor called out as the next contraction hit. Nick's ears perked up and his tail wagged as he tried to look past the blanket covering her knees. His efforts were futile and he returned his attention to the little bunny.

"Push Judy! We almost have the first one out!" the lynx ordered.

"You've got this fluff," Nick comforted her as she grunted with effort.

"Ok, the first one is out," the doctor declared but when Nick moved towards the newborn the lynx glared at the new father, "No! You stay there, we still have five more to go." Nick just nodded and stroked his bunny's head. He listened but he could hear no cry as the doctor handed the baby to a nurse. The nurse took the baby to the opposite side of the room and Nick grew worried as he watched the nurse's back.

Another contraction hit and Judy squeezed Nick's hand and grunted.

"Make this one count!" the lynx ordered.

Judy squeezed again and let out a long grunt as yet another kit joined the world. Still Nick couldn't hear any cries. He thought babies were supposed to cry when they were first born. Was he mistaken? He kissed her paw and felt a pit grow in his stomach.

The next kit came out with only one push and Nick squeezed his eyes closed. He didn't know how much more suspense he could take. Relief washed over him as he finally heard a baby's cry. The doctor whispered something to one of the nurses and she placed the infant into a small gurney and wheeled it out the door.

 _What the hell is going on down there?_ Nick wondered, he could feel the tears well in his eyes, though he never left Judy's side.

Once again the next baby slid out after one good push and once again Nick could hear it cry, only this one didn't leave the room. Instead he watched the nurse wash the infant with a dry towel and place it in a bassinet.

The next baby came out and joined its sibling as did the last. Nick kissed Judy's small paw and congratulated her. She look exhausted but happy.

"Ok, the hard part is over," the doctor declared, "Welcome to the land of diapers, bottles and spit up. You two are officially parents. Congratulations," the nurses moved the squirming infants to their mother's chest. Nick's heart swelled. He couldn't believe how the wrinkly, hairless, red creatures could be so beautiful, just like their mother, whose fur was matted and stuck up in odd places. And just as quickly, his heart broke for his someday wife.

"Where are the others?" Judy asked after she stroked each infant.

The doctor gave a heavy sigh, "I'm afraid that the first two were stillborn. There was nothing I could do. The third, well, let's just say I don't expect it to survive the night. I am very sorry. You can see them if you'd like but I don't recommend it. You've done the impossible, Ms. Hopps. I ask that you enjoy the three healthy children you have."

Judy looked up into Nick's eyes before she responded, "We will, thank you doctor."

The doctor ungloved his paws and shook the new father's hand and patted the new mother on the shoulder.

"I wish the both of you, and your children, a long and happy life. Congratulations."


	21. Bonus Chapter (Explicit)

**Warning: Contains my most explicit sex scene yet.**

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" Judy asked nervously, snuggling the little, gray kit.

"I understand your concern dear, I only raised one kit and he came out like that," Ruby pointed over her shoulder at her son, who gave an offended look as he adjusted his tie, "but I think I can handle three adorable, sleeping babies for one night."

"Ok," Judy giggled at her fiance's expense, "Well, we'll both have our phones on us so if you need anything, feel free to call."

"It's going to be ok, they are already sleeping through the night, and my mom can take care of them just fine, despite her apparently spotty record," Nick comforted the bunny as he glared at his mother. "We haven't been out of the house since these freeloaders showed up. Let's go have some fun."

"Ok. Ok, yeah. Let's go have some fun. Thanks again Ruby," Judy sighed. She gave each child a loving caress before she left. She couldn't get over how the triplets were growing to be such different animals. Thomas looked exactly like his mother save the dark grey tips of his short, round ears and paws and long tail. Lilly on the other hand, who had the longest ears, looked like a bunny version of her father. Lastly, Hope, truly looked like a combination of her parents. She had long pointed ears and a long, fluffy tail with gray fur that had random red splotches.

Nick wrapped his arm around his beloved's shoulders and they headed out towards the subway. On the train she leaned up close to the slim fox and sighed contentedly. As she opened her eyes she noticed an old goat was staring. The goat quickly cleared his throat and looked away but she could see him glance back in their direction.

"Hey slick," Judy purred. He looked down at her with a hum before she lifted her head and gave him a sweet but lengthy kiss. She was done caring what other mammals thought of her relationship with the fox. She was going to marry the big goof one day and raise three beautiful hybrid children. She no longer had any choice but to accept her unconventional lifestyle and defend it for all it's worth.

"What was that for?" Nick asked in a low hum.

"No reason, I just love you is all," Judy snuggled contentedly into Nick's arm. She glanced at the old goat again and had trouble reading his expression. It certainly wasn't the look of offence or disgust she expected. In fact, he seemed almost pleased though it was obvious he was trying hard not to look at the couple. Judy pondered the meaning of this for a few seconds before a new thought struck her.

"Hey slick, when are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"When we get there."

"Won't I be able to figure it out for myself by then?"

"You'd be a very dumb bunny if you didn't."

Judy gave the fox an annoyed pinch under his arm which only resulted in a few small laughs and a squirm.

It was several stops before Nick finally lead them off the train and the anticipation was starting to get to Judy. Her twitching ears and nose and anxious glances would have been obvious to the crafty fox, even if he were deaf, blind and paralyzed from the neck down, and he took great delight in this small torture. His aloof, carefree facade only served to irritate the curious bunny.

"There is an awful lot of traffic out tonight," Judy commented as they walked down the sidewalk, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Is there?" Nick asked, solely to annoy his partner, "Perhaps they're going to the stadium. I hear there is a bit of an event going on tonight."

"An event? Is that where we are going?" the small bunny asked as she tugged on his arm and hopped about. To a passerby, she probably looked more like a child pulling on her father's arm than his lover.

"Hmm, maybe?" Nick said with a wink and a smile. Judy's level of aggravation was soaring past her tall ears as she tried to figure out what could be happening at the stadium. The time of year was off for any major sports teams and there weren't any major concerts until the Gazelle concert next week. She was still kicking herself for missing out on those tickets.

The couple turned the last corner and as they approached the stadium Judy read the large electronic sign. "Gazelle: Peace and Unity Tour."

"No way!" Judy gasped as she pulled on the fox's sleeve. "I thought this wasn't until next week! How did this happen?"

"Gotta say carrots, convincing you of that was probably the hardest part of this scheme. Don't ask how I did it. I'd rather you have some plausible deniability," the fox couldn't hide his smile as he spoke. He was obviously quite proud of himself from his puffed up chest to his uncharacteristically perked up ears and the wag of his tail.

"But I tried to get tickets, they were sold out!"

"They are, luckily I made arrangements with one of Gazelle's biggest fans, and a member of her fan club, someone we both know and love."

"Clawhouser!" Judy gasped as Nick fished two tickets from his back pocket and held them up proudly.

Judy let out a happy girlish laugh as she dropped Nick's paw and began hopping circles around him. Her excitement only grew as she realized that not only did she have tickets, but they were tickets for the floor, giving her the freedom to bounce and dance to her heart's content.

 _Oh, oh, oh, Oh, oh_

"Good evening Zootopia!" came a clear voice from the speakers as the tall thin singer came out on stage.

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_

Lights flashed and music blared across the stadium and Judy danced in seventh heaven. Even Nick, who was normally not a fan of such upbeat pop music was nodding along to the tunes. He still wasn't a fan of dancing, it just wasn't something he ever really picked up, but at his bunny's urging he joyfully unleashed the few lame moves he had.

"Ahh! That was amazing!" Judy exclaimed when the concert was over.

"Yeah," Nick admitted, "and did you see the look on old buffalo butt's face when he saw us? Priceless. I swear I didn't know he was coming to this."

"I had so much fun, I don't want it to end! Can we take the long way home? Oh, let's go through the rainforest district, that's always so pretty at night! Where was that place we went to the night you first kissed me? Can we go there?" Judy was hopping around and swinging Nick's arm excitedly, high off the performance's energy as they were making their way down the street.

She wasn't paying attention when she swung him in a big circle around a corner and straight into a small squirrel. Nick nearly fell over the small mammal but caught himself with one hand on the pavement, his back in a large arc over the squirrel. Nick looked back at the squirrel, too stunned to say anything for a moment. He watched as the creature's eyes grew wide in panic. The squirrel leapt back towards the building behind him and Nick reached out his paw to stop him to apologize, but when the street light shewn across Nick's claws and made his eyes glow, in the way that nocturnal eyes sometimes do, the squirrel let out a frightened shriek and with a confusing flick of his tail he was gone down the street as fast as his feet would carry.

"Oh, uh, I guess he doesn't like foxes," Nick observed as he straightened himself.

"Well that's just silly," Judy added as she dusted off her partner.

"Heh, that's funny coming from the bumpkin that used to carry around fox repellent," he chidded.

Judy scrunched her nose, "Yeah, I guess I did. That feels so long ago. I feel silly for ever being frightened by you."

"Well, to be fair, biologically speaking and all-"

"Yeah but," she cut him off, "look at you. There's really nothing scary about you. I mean, you eat blueberries by the bushel, you mix ties with pawaiian shirts and your big, evil, foxy scheme used to be selling frozen confections to lemmings. Honestly, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Ouch carrots. Way to wound my predator pride there," Nick laughed, more offended at how easily she rattle off a list of his faults than telling him he couldn't be scary.

"No, but I've thought about this. Imagine you were a bunny like me and we were, say a married couple, and one day you decided you wanted me dead, do you think you would struggle to kill me, without your fangs and claws, anymore than you would now with them? No. You could shoot me, smother me with a pillow, stab me. The list goes on and we see it all the time in same species domestic disputes," she explained.

"So you really think I'm as harmless as a bunny?" Nick asked.

"Well, considering how much butt I've kicked, I'd say yes if not more so," she teased, "Besides I've seen you cry over kits. How can I be scared of you after that."

"Hey, it was my first time holding my own child and it was one tear. You can't hold that against me!" he shot back when suddenly he was struck by a sneaky idea.

"So I can't scare you at all huh? What if," he guided her around the corner of a building, down a dark alleyway as his words trailed off. Once hidden by the shadows of the building he grabbed her by the shirt with one paw and lifted her high in the air and pressed her tight against a building. His other paw was splayed, claws ready for an attack. His lips pulled back showing his long sharp teeth in the dim light. He let out a low growl and hissed his next words through clenched teeth, "What if I did this?" after his words, he opened his jaws wide and snapped them closed just below Judy's jaws, beside her neck.

Judy let out a startled gasp. "Nick! You're such a jerk!" she yelled as she gave him a hard punch in the shoulder.

Nick just laughed as he brought his other hand around her waist and began to kiss her neck. A familiar subtle smell rose up into his keen nose.

"Sorry fluff, I'm a dad now. I wanted to make sure I still had 'it.'" With those words he pressed his body tight to hers against the wall. "I need to make sure I can still please my kinky bunny."

"Sh-shut up! I'm not kinky." Nick's hands moved from her chest and waist and slid slowly down to her hips as he continued kissing her neck. Her body wiggled in response and her breathing grew heavy.

"No, you just like it when your big predator boyfriend pushes you around a little. Shows off his big scary teeth and claws," as he spoke he ran the tips of his claws up the length of her waist and ribs under her shirt. Her squirming confirmed his words.

"No, no I-" whatever Judy was about to say next was lost in a moan as Nick's kisses were trailing up her ears and he pressed his pelvis into hers. Her legs were now wrapped around his waist and she leaned back into the wall. She gripped the fur on the back of his neck as he nipped the top of her ear and She writhed with pleasure.

"As much as I'd like to fuck you right here and now in this dirty alley, I think we can do better. Do you think you can control yourself till we get a room," Nick growled in in her ear.

"Once again, Nicholas Wilde, you are a jerk." the little bunny laughed as she slid off her lover's waist _._

The two animals practically ran to the first motel they could find and after a few moments with the desk clerk, they were in a dingy, little room. Once inside Judy reached out for Nick's tie and she yanked it forward, forcing him down low to kiss her. As her tongue entered his mouth, she reached behind his head with her free hand and began rubbing the base of his ear. Nick's tail wagged furiously and he let out a small moan as she kissed and rubbed him.

She stopped suddenly and gave the larger mammal a hefty shove, tossing him onto the hard bed behind him.

"See, it can be pretty hot to get pushed around," she smirked as she leapt on top of him. He laughed in agreeance as she began to unfasten his pants. As she did so, she grasped the bottom of his shirt with her teeth and tossed it up, just high enough to grant her access to his lower belly. With the pants now undone she reached towards his boxers and rubbed the lump that was growing inside as she kissed around his stomach and hips. Nick leaned back and reached down to rub one of her ears, eager for the special attention he was about to receive.

Judy ended her kisses as she yanked both pants and boxers down past his knees. She grasped his now free erection and placed a light kiss at the base where the knot would soon be forming and another slightly above that, and another and another, in a gentle series until she reached the tip. Nick's eyes were closed and relaxed so he missed the lustful gaze she gave him after the last kiss before she stuck out her tongue and licked just the tip of his member. She watched his shoulders and ears twitch as a wave of pleasure coursed through him. She continued to lick around the tip of the fox cock, making each lick a little larger, as she began to gently stroke him. Each moan he released was like a cheer for her before she finally did the one big lick that started at his base and traveled all the way up the tip and it seemed like every muscle in his body twitched. He ran his hands down the back of his head and grabbed the scruff of his own neck, his mind lost in ecstasy as he breathed out little huffs.

Judy smiled, proud at the effect she was having on him before she opened her mouth wide and slid him into her mouth. She didn't close down on him right away, instead letting the heat of her breath embrace him first before she did. He let out a long moan as she slid her closed mouth up and then back down him, her tongue pressed right against him.

Nick was the first boyfriend she was every really able to practice blow jobs on, being more career driven in her schooling days, and she still hasn't mastered deep throats. She wasn't sure if she ever would with his larger size, but what she lacked in skill she made up for in attentiveness. She knew all the places her fox liked to be touched and rubbed as she reached behind his testicles with her free hand and rubbed the stretch of flesh behind them. The fox was panting and whining in pleasure now. She felt a single throb against her tongue and she knew he was getting close. She continued to work slowly sucking and stroking his cock as her other hand stroked the underside of his pelvis, occasionally rubbing his balls which were tightening with an impending release.

"Stop Carrots, I'm gonna-!"

His words were cut off and she did the opposite of his advice as she tried to take as much of him into her mouth as she could and stroked him past his tolerance and he came inside her. The load hit the back of her throat with more force than she realised it would and she struggled to swallow it all down. She broke away as the last squirt came out landing somewhere on her lap as she coughed violently.

"I-I tried to warn you. I'm sorry. Judy? Carrots? Please don't be mad at me." Nick apologized with a guilty smile as her coughing fit got worse but she only held up a paw to stop him.

"It's my fault. I heard you say stop but I thought it would be hot to try and swallow it like some porn star. I don't think I will be trying that again anytime soon," she explained as the coughing fit passed. She left him to soothe her throat with a drink of cool water from the bathroom sink.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, it was an otherwise fantastic performance. I give it four and a half stars," Judy leaned out of the bathroom and glared at the fox, "I-I mean five, no six stars! Ten out of five star review. Bravo." Judy came out of the bathroom, now completely nude, and crawled slowly across the bed like she was the predator and he was the prey. He couldn't tell by the look on her face if he was about to be kissed or hit. "Encore?" he asked nervously and shrank down before her.

She leapt the last few inches past his long muzzle to his throat and proceeded to pepper it with small bites as she tickled his ribs.

"Stop! Stop!" Nick cried, "Someone help, I'm being attacked by a savage rabbit!" He let her have her moment of small victory before easily tossing her to the side. "You are a terrible predator, you're not even doing it right," he scolded, "You have to growl and snarl while you attack, like this." He let out a low growl as he returned the treatment. She giggled and tried to push his head away from her neck but he had the advantage of size and muscle over her and wouldn't budge. She stopped pushing him away when his fingers slowed from tickling to caressing and his nips moved from her neck to her ears. Instead of pushing, she satisfied herself with running her fingers through his coarse fur, grasping and kneading different muscles from his neck, down his shoulders and around the top of his back. His hands moved from her ribs down her waist and past her hips. He cupped one cheek of her shapely rump and gave it a possessive squeeze and gave an extra hard nip to the top of her ear. He heard her breath catch in an almost gasp and smiled to himself, loving the reaction he was getting from her.

Nick shifted his weight over her and placed both hands on her strong thighs and pressed his muzzle against hers in a passionate kiss. She kissed him back, forcefully opening her mouth, their tongues grazing over each other as she grasped the the scruff of his neck tightly. As they kissed, Nick caressed her long legs before he pulled her knees up to rest on his chest and ran his hands back down her legs. He caressed her backside and could feel the heat of her sex against his abdomen. Her breathing grew to an erratic, quick pace as he worked his thumbs closer together, gently grazing her folds without penetrating her. His thumb began tracing small circles towards the front of her privates as he began hunting for the small sensitive piece of flesh that he knew would drive her crazy. He had more success finding its location through her reaction than the sensitivity of his own pads, like playing a game of hot and cold. She broke the kiss, unable to breath, and let out a series of high-pitched moans that told him that he had found what he was looking for.

With his mouth no longer occupied by hers he moved to the next phase of his love making. With his thumb still rubbing against her clitorus he moved his head down her body, leaving a trail of kisses behind. When he reached his destination, he placed his nose just before her sex and breathed in her aroma. The scent was like a drug as he took in lungful after lungful, each exhale washing over Judy's exposed privates and sending tingles up her spine. Soon Nick grew accustomed to her scent and, also like a drug, he was desiring more to keep his sexual high going so he opened his maw wide and ran his tongue across her small privates. She let out a small cry of passion as he savored the taste and went back in for seconds. Satisfied but now desiring to hear his partner moan and cry out more, Nick replaced the thumb that was pleasuring her clit with his tongue and used the newly free hand to stroke her folds. He flicked his tongue as his paws put pressure on her before finally sliding in. Judy's mind was lost in a world of ecstasy as a second finger entered her and began stroking the walls of her vagina. Nick didn't have long to work before he could feel her body squeeze down on his fingers and go ridged. Inside, Judy experienced wave after wave of pleasure before she finally relaxed and began panting.

"Ready for more?" Nick asked with a smirk.

Judy laughed between breaths as Nick slid his body up hers like a large, red snake. He kissed her cheek sweetly as he positioned their hips together. His erection returned in full force and throbbed against her sex. He rubbed it along her folds as he waited for her to catch her breath before she wiggled her hips back against him, signalling her readiness to continue. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in his chest as he entered her. The pressure they felt from their mismatched genitals left both mammals gasping. As Nick began to rock his hips back out of her, she reached forward and grasped at this back, under his arms as and he came back into her. Gently he rocked against her, though from her perspective there was nothing gentle as his large member squeezed it way into her, taking up every last inch of space. He felt her body tense and squeeze as another orgasim rolled over her small body.

Nick stilled as he waited for for her to return to her senses. Judy relaxed and nuzzled Nick's chest and he began to slowly rock his hips again. Judy dropped down back onto the bed, her small body to exhausted to hang onto Nick's body any longer. Her legs trembled in Nick's paws and he realized that his poor fiance wouldn't be able to take much more abuse but the his knot wouldn't just let him call it quits.

"Hey, beautiful. You look tired. Think you can bear with me a little longer?"

Judy arched her hips forward into his. "I'm about to catch my second wind. Don't you worry," she sighed. Nick didn't believe her for a second as he spun her around and laid down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and gently rocked in and out of her.

She snuggled against the inside of his arm and rocked her hips back towards him. Her appetite trying to win against her tiredness. She even reached forward and was able to fondle him very lightly which was just enough to put him over the edge as he filled the bunny with the hot liquid. Judy sighed contentedly as she felt his member twitch in it's orgasm.

Nick placed a loving kiss on the tip of the little bunny's head and within moments, both animals were fast asleep, locked in each other's warm embrace.

The End.

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 **Author's Note: OMG! It's over! I hope this was as much of a trip for you guys as it was for me because I am officially hooked on making fanfics like some kind of drug and frankly I blame you guys. Trying to make this emotional roller coaster, with every scene perfect in its imperfections, while watching your guys' reaction was just amazing. Thanks so much! Luckily, this story may be over but I've been working on the outline and rough draft of yet another Zootopia fanfic so you guys can look forward to the first chapter of that in a couple of weeks (hopefully the 21st). It is going to be a little less smutty and be more of a crime drama but it will still have tons of romantic fluff, steamy sex scenes, exciting action and tons of drama inspired by bad choices. Well, that's the goal anyways. It will not be connected to this story however, so if you're expecting a sequel, sorry.**

 **Before I go, i would love to hear from you guys one last time. What did you like the best, what did you like the least? Is there an area that could be improved upon? Well, I guess that's all from me. See you guys in a few weeks. ;)**


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